


It Burns, But That's Okay

by AmnestySystem



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Blaze Hybrid Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Blood and Injury, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Families of Choice, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Hybrids, Loneliness, Minecraft IRL, Sharing Body Heat, Sleepy Bois Inc as Family, Touch-Starved, minecraft but you dont respawn, no beta we die like Mexican dream, sapnap needs a goddamn hug, thats it thats the fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:07:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 22,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28635996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmnestySystem/pseuds/AmnestySystem
Summary: Blazes are social creatures at heart, always surrounded by others of their kind, which doesn't bode well for a blaze hybrid stuck alone in the overworldAka Sapnap is sad and gets hugs because I'm projecting
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), No Romantic Relationship(s), don't ship children ya nasties
Comments: 62
Kudos: 397





	1. Chapter 1

It was... cold. Cold was new. He didn't understand it yet, the absence of heat. The icy air that filled his lungs and froze him from the inside out, making numbness spread across his hands. The child had felt cool before, in the soft touches of endermen, whispers that filled his ears and claws that tapped on his shoulders, but those memories had long since faded. Long since been replaced by something hotter, splashes of sizzling red and spreading flame. Rasping voices and bubbling lava, now too far away to reach, were held close in mind and heart.

Small hands clawed at the black rock, skin burning and glowing with interlacing threads. Nails were torn, bleeding gold. A quiet wail pierced the air as droplets fell, shining like small red suns until they hissed against the grass, fading black. Tiny scorched patches bloomed under the boy's huddled figure. This wasn't meant to happen, none of it was, but there was nothing to be done now. He couldn't take back the past. The portal was broken, collapsed in a pile of sharp-edged obsidian. The boy wailed again, torn hands itching fiercely as bright blood trickled down his arms.

The wind carried a whisper to him, one that made the hair on his neck stand on end. Around him, the cold grew fiercer, shards of ice seeming to prick at his skin, delving under the flesh. Despite the danger, he felt the ball of tension in his chest begin to unwind.

" **Step away, child. You'll only hurt yourself.** "

He looked up shakily, face damp and raw with hot tears. Burning red eyes met purple, causing the creature to flinch. Another memory flashed and the boy averted his gaze. He'd spent enough time around these beings to understand them.

**"Do not be afraid."** A cool hand touched his shoulder. _So cold_. **"It cannot be fixed, you mustn't linger. There is danger here."  
**

A quiet whimper escaped his throat, but he stood nonetheless, letting it guide him away. The clawed hand, if it could be called that, was icy and smooth. The creature didn't pull him, simply letting him follow as it led him away, along a path that only it knew. The ground under him was alien, blooming with life in all sorts of colours he could barely recognise. It reminded him of the forests of his home, but he quickly shut down that line of thinking when the grief surged inside him. His gaze stayed fixed on the slender legs of the creature, the world around him blurring at the edges.

**"We are similar,** " the being murmured. " **Both trapped. But this world is kinder than it seems."**

The boy finally looked up again as cool shadows fell across his face, trees arching high overhead and blocking the sunlight. He couldn't help but shiver. They were strange, a colour he wasn't sure the name of, trunks tall and thick, so far from the twisting, vine-like branches he was used to.

**"You will be safe now."** The creature stepped away. " **Stay quiet, and stay hidden. Do not let any humans see you. All are cruel, despite how they may act at first."**

He opened his mouth to respond, but it was too late. Purple sparked and the creature was gone, leaving a faint blessing to drift in the air. It spoke of promises, of distant worlds where monsters lived in peace, of danger and fighting against it. It spoke of so many things, both a gift and a burden, and the child felt that weight press down on him, cooling the fire in his eyes and in his skin. Unbeknownst to him, the gold that encircled his skin faded in its glow. His eyes went dark, veins turned from red to blue.

As the flames died down, cold began to seep into his form. He whimpered, rubbing a hand over his face and cursing the now-clear tears that continued to fall no matter how many times he told himself to be brave. He didn't know how to be brave when he didn't know who _he_ was.

* * *

Time was strange here, the boy recognised. The air had cooled around him and that was when the panic set in, hiccuping sobs that echoed through the trees, interrupted only by the quiet footfalls of animals he couldn't see. He whispered a final goodbye as the sky darkened and waited, waited for whatever monster that caused this to descend upon him and tear him to pieces, but as the night drew on, it never came, leaving him to sit in sleepless fear.

More time passed and he found his solitude broken, the familiar chattering of skeletons sending a wave of relief through him. If they were there too, there must be hope. He'd known skeletons in his home, fierce creatures but friendly nonetheless, bones grating and grinding in the Nether's heat. They seemed strange here though. One spared a glance at him as it passed, fingers momentarily tightening on its bow. The boy nodded his head and it nodded back, relaxing and continuing on its journey. Where? He didn't know, but he assumed it was important. It must have been, for it to be in such a rush.

There were other creatures too, some familiar and some so very odd. Groaning beasts that reminded him of the zombified piglins that would fill the land with their grunts and wails, but these held no weapons, only a sharp glare and flesh that didn't seem to sit properly under their skin. A few eyed him as they passed, but quickly moved on when they spotted the weaving gold lines that covered him. Things that scuttled both around and above him, others that screeched as they flew overhead. The flying monsters reminded him of ghasts, and if he closed his eyes for just a moment, he could imagine he was home. 

Most confusing of all were the green creatures, figures that were wrong in too many small ways that filled the air with their quiet hissing. Heads that swayed on top of too-thin bodies, scuttling legs with an odd number of joints. The boy would later swear he heard them laughing, but they kept their distance so he moved his eyes away.

_This place is wrong_ , he decided eventually. _But so am I, and I'm stuck here now, so I'll just have to make it work._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He really needs a new shirt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bold is the language from the end and nether, taught to monsters by the endermen, italics is used as normal
> 
> Bit of blood and stuff in this one, it's not much though and can be skipped pretty easily

" **Hello, friend!** " he called, waving a hand. The skeleton stared at him, teeth clicking quietly. " **Would you like to come over? You'll be safe here, I have shelter, and water if you need it!** "

He looked back to where he was arm-deep in the small pond, scrubbing at the fabric of his shirt, painfully frail in his hands. It had been a long time since he'd cleaned it, even longer since he'd gotten it, and scraping off the layers of dry mud and gore was proving to be harder than expected. The skeleton continued to stand in place for a few breaths, then approached, warily at first but much calmer when it glimpsed the bright lines spiraling across his upper body. Blaze markings were clear, even to creatures of the overworld, and a sign of peace to all creatures like them. Monsters had to stick together, and hybrids were no exception to that rule.

" **There!** " He lifted the shirt, a sad, damp mess. " **I really need to find new clothes soon, huh?** "

The skeleton chittered quietly nearby, and he nodded. " **Yeah, I don't know where to find them either. Do you think I could ask one of the zombies for a spare? I know they don't have much, but they're usually wearing _something_.**"

Its jaw began to grind, a painful impression of a laugh, and he screwed up his nose. " **It's the best option I've got, no one else wears clothes.** "

Pulling the shirt over his head, he stepped away from the pond and pushed apart the thick branches he'd used to cover his home. It wasn't really a home, more a small opening in a pile of dirt, but it was his place of safety and deserved a fitting title. The skeleton shuffled inside after him, letting out a grating sigh as it escaped the burning sun.

" **You can rest here as long as you want.** " The boy smiled. He knew it wouldn't last. These creatures never hung around, not like those he knew in the nether. They were always moving, always travelling, refusing to stay in one place any longer than they needed to. He wondered for a moment if he should be doing the same, but soon shook off the thought. It seemed like a painful existence, he'd rather stay put.

Little time had passed before he pushed himself to his feet, letting out a sigh and pushing through the ache in his body. " **I need to go hunting. I'll be back before sundown.** "

The skeleton was silent, but he didn't hold the lack of response against it. After all, it didn't know him, and he didn't know it. He grabbed his knife as he left, a small thing quickly fashioned from stone but surprisingly sharp. Images flashed in his head as he picked it up, a haze of red and kindhearted creatures guiding his hands, teaching him how to create. The boy shook his head to empty it and sheathed the knife. Turning his footsteps away, out into another section of the forest, he let the sunlight warm him and breathed a soft sigh.

There was a sharp crack nearby and he dropped, peering over the bushes with narrowed eyes. It was lucky to find something this soon, too lucky. Sure, this area was full of mobs, but he still had to work for his meals. The crunch of dry leaves underfoot. He wondered what kind of creature would be so loud.

_It's a surprise nothing's killed it yet._ The thought brought an amused smile to his face, but he caught himself. _If nothing has killed it yet, that doesn't bode well for me._

He crept closer to the noise, keeping as low as possible. He rounded a corner and caught a flash. As his eyes finally fell on the creature, he fought back a scream, hand clenching on his knife. _Oh no._

The human's face was bright as it looked around, keen blue eyes scanning the forest. It seemed to be whistling as it went, a sound he'd heard humans make but could never replicate. It was almost cheerful as it stomped through the undergrowth. The hybrid stumbled back, intent on sneaking away, but he stepped wrong and a branch cracked sharply under him, making the human turn. It looked at him and his stomach twisted, adrenaline coursing.

_I can't fight this thing, it's bigger than me, and looks a lot stronger. I have to run, I have to get away, I have to_ -

"Hello!" the human called. "I haven't seen anyone else out here before! It's nice to meet you!"

The boy blanched, heart pounding.

Tilting its head, the human tried again. "Are you alright? You look as if you've seen a ghost."

Forcing himself to breathe, he shot it a smile, slamming a lid on the fear that clawed at him, screaming for him to escape. "Apologies, you scared me."

The words came out rough and stuttered. He was lucky to have picked up bits and pieces of human language from those he'd seen, nights spent hiding in trees listening out for danger from the humans camping nearby. After some years, he knew enough to understand most of what they said, but this was his first time actually using it to talk to a human. For good reason, knowing the danger he'd seen and experienced over his lifetime.

Said human laughed. "You sound mighty awful! Say, what are you doing out here?"

"Hunting." There was no reason to lie. It would be easier to escape if he was truthful, humans had no sympathy for liars.

"Cool!" It grinned at him. "I'm doing the same! Oh, I never caught your name, what is it? I'm Sapnap!"

He faltered. "I... don't have one?"

It seemed confused at that, and he felt his panic grow stronger. "That's weird. Everyone has a name."

The boy stepped back again. His bare foot caught the edge of a rock that shifted under him, and just like that, he was falling. He threw out his arms without thinking in an attempt to catch himself. As he did, the sleeves pulled back, gold lines flashing in the sunlight for barely a second before he fought for balance and yanked them back down. As the human looked at him, expression shifting from confusion to fear to rage, he found only one thought in his head.

_I really need a new shirt._

He took off running.

"Get back here!" the human yelled, drawing a sword from its back.

Black hair flapped against his forehead and he pushed it aside, eyes focused on the forest around him, searching desperately for some kind of escape. Green flashed by and he jumped a fallen tree, panting. He went through his options as he ran. He could climb a tree, but the human was much bigger than him and looked a lot more fit. Even if somehow he escaped, if somehow he was faster, it could just wait for him at the base. He couldn't stay up there forever and the trees here were too far apart to jump between them. The river wasn't an option, he'd fallen in once and taken too many days to count recovering from the shock of cold. The area around him was growing more familiar with each step.

He couldn't keep running, he knew it, and by the sounds coming from behind him, so did the human. It yowled at him, tone dark with threat. Then the world went sideways and before he could realise what happened, he was crashing to the ground, head slamming down with a sickening thud. The human grunted and landed on top of him, knees pressing uncomfortably into him. Pain bloomed in his chest, the pressure making his lungs ache.

"How dare you run," it hissed. "Fucking hybrid, at least others have the dignity to die with honour."

He writhed in its grasp, drawing in a sharp breath when it held the blade aloft, slowly pressing it to the tender flesh of his throat.

"No, no, please!" His breathing shuddered. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please don't hurt me, I don't- I didn't-"

"Shut up!" The blade dug in, a wide grin spreading across the human's face. Its hands were steady as they forced the knife down.

" **Help** **!** " he screeched. Blood began to run down his collar. " **Please, someone help me!** "

The human cackled, but as it moved to deliver the killing blow, it jerked, and hot blood sprayed across the boy's face. His eyes, squeezed shut the moment before, opened, and his gaze drifted down. Metal shone in the sunlight, glinting through the human's chest, arrowpoint hovering proudly above the hybrid's face. It still dripped with blood. Shuddering, he shoved the corpse off him. He recognised the figure that now stood before him, pulling its arrow out of the body, and the skeleton chattered its teeth. It turned away without a second thought.

Its message was clear. _Only once. This will not work again._

The boy slumped to the ground, wheezing, a hand pressed to his throat in an attempt to stop the flow. Slowly, he looked over at the body of the human. If he was going to survive out here, he needed more than he had, and, thankfully, this human seemed well-prepared. Swallowing the bile that rose in his throat, he reached out a hand, fumbling for the human's pockets.

His eyes stayed squeezed shut the entire time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sadness pog

Sparks rose gently into the air, bursting out in a flurry each time the logs were disturbed, spinning and dancing until they faded and fell. The snow was stained with flecks of gray as the boy huddled closer, hands trailing across the burning wood. It was beautiful, in a painful sort of way. The warmth heart-wrenchingly familiar, despite how alien his surroundings still were.

He glanced up at a quiet sound, meeting the eyes of the creeper that had grown too close. He nodded and it sank down beside the flames, breathing deeply, ragged chest rising and falling.

" **I'm not one for the cold either** ," he murmured. It blinked at him.

They didn't speak much, the creepers. Only to each other, in a strange language of hisses and whistles that was never interpreted. Silently, he thought they could understand what he said. They always reacted as if they could, at least. He'd watched them during the night, shivering and huddling together against the icy wind. Judging by the craters left in their wake, they seemed equally fueled by heat.

The hybrid tipped his head to watch the sky, tiny pinpricks of light alien yet familiar. Despite the seasons that had passed, he still found himself staring, half expecting them to fall as ash, or as the bright balls of energy the endermen used to wield. He had been young when he left the Nether, too young to be taught the intricacies of magic. Now, in this strange world, he'd finally started to figure it out, flames dancing along his fingertips and sparking through his hair when he got too excited. It was wild, uncontrolled, as much a part of him as the blood that poured through his veins and the heart that gave him life. Something about it was ecstatic. 

Not that there was much to be excited about anymore.

The creeper rose with a grateful hiss and shuffled away, nodding in thanks as it went. He watched it go, and once it was out of sight his head fell, bumping the knees hugged to his chest. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. Things would be different if he were home, back in the place of heat and fire and _safety_. Back with his family, the people who loved him and cared for him, the odd friends he'd made and the structures he'd grown up with. Not here, not now, trapped in whatever this hellish place was. The loneliness clawed at him and tears began to fall, unbidden. They hissed loudly against the snow, pinpricks of liquid fire once more. He bit his cheek to hold in a sob and wrapped his arms around himself, curling inward.

" **You are... upset?** " the soft, rasping tones of a zombie sounded nearby, making him jump.

He hiccuped, wiping away steaming tears, and looked up. The zombie shuffled closer. It looked much neater than most he'd interacted with, still bearing the insignia of a human village on its torn clothes. When he first saw creatures like it he was terrified, but they quickly reassured him. Once they were monsters, they had no reason to retain their prejudice.

" **You are upset** ," it repeated. " **Why?** "

" **I'm lonely** ," he croaked.

Its expression didn't change. They never did. " **Lonely?** "

The boy buried his face in his hands once again. " **I miss my family. I want to be back with them**."

" **Family** **?** " the zombie almost seemed confused. " **Why would you need them?** "

He whimpered quietly.

" **Family** ," it said again. " **You do not need family. You are free. You can wander. Why family?** "

When he didn't respond, it simply sighed and shuffled away. The boy's chest twisted and he couldn't hold back the stream of sobs that overtook him, nails digging into the skin of his arms, leaving scratches that pricked with blood.

_This world is cruel,_ he thought to himself. _It is cruel and it is painful and it_ _hurts_.

The flames flickered and he sniffed, skin sore from crying. It flickered again, warm, inviting. Ever so slowly, he slid forward until he was huddled in the very center, fire washing over him. It was warm, for the first time in so long, and he let out a quiet sigh, rubbing his face to remove the last of the tears.

He didn't know what he was going to do, but for right now, that could wait. Instead, he slept, and the fire grew cold around him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hybrid boy makes a friend
> 
> Warning for a sort of panic attack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna be honest, I'm barley even proof-reading. I have thoughts and they must be written, no time to edit

Water surged in front of him and the hybrid grimaced, sending the river a dark glare. He'd been walking for a long time, trying to find something, anything, that could help him improve his situation. But there was only this, only _cold_. It was vile and completely useless.

He sighed and kicked at the rocks, hands pressed into the pockets of his hoodie. He could be thankful for that, at least. The season hadn't warmed yet, still frozen and silent. Not cold enough to freeze the river though, a fact that he cursed daily. Crossing it was torture, trying to find any way to get past it without stepping foot into the stream itself.

Gurgling met his ears and he glanced down. He caught sight of a blurry figure under the surface. " **Hello?** "

The drowned met his eyes, small bubbles escaping its nose. It's jaw clicked a few times.

" **Excuse me** ," he tried again. " **Do you know a place where I can cross the river?** "

It lifted the trident held loosely in its hand, pointing downstream. The boy nodded in thanks. He had to keep moving, after all; staying still was a death sentence in weather like this. He pushed his headband back up from where it had begun to slip. Originally intended to keep the hair out of his eyes, but he appreciated the slight warmth the fabric held against his skin. It helped to keep away the headaches.

The black-haired boy kept an eye on the river as he continued on, watching the fish. He'd tried to catch them a few times, but it had never gone well, usually ending in him falling into the water and having to drag himself home covered in icicles. He cursed his hybrid nature each time, and his clumsiness doubly so.

The elders had told him that he was different. Hybrids weren't like the blaze they came from. Blaze wielded their rods with passion and power, using them as fuel and as weapons. Hybrids, on the other hand, had them stored deep within, around the same place a human stores its heart. Some of the elders liked to joke that humans had no hearts, while others argued with stories of the ones they'd eaten. He'd liked the elders. They were kind, and when he got scared they told him tales. Most were from their history, but that was okay, blaze history was a wondrous thing. He wondered if he'd ever finish learning about it now.

Finally he reached a bridge, old and ruined but still barely functional, and stepped carefully across to the other side. Letting out a breath as he reached dry land, he took off again with renewed energy.

* * *

He should've known better. He'd intended on just sneaking in, stealing a few items and escaping. That was how this usually went, after all. But no, this time just had to be different, and now here he was, having a face-off with _that_.

The human in front of him shifted on its feet. Its face was covered, a strange symbol painted onto to the white plastic mask, light reflecting painfully into his eyes. It looked... uncomfortable, constantly flexing and relaxing its hands.

His hand slid back towards the sheath that held his knife. It was made of iron, looted long ago. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough to save his life countless times. He prayed he could do it one more.

"Uh." The human shifted on its feet again. _Why is it doing that?_ "Why are you in my base?"

Panic flared and the hybrid gripped the knife, steeling his expression into a glare. If it knew he was scared, it would only get more violent.

"Whoa, wait a minute." It raised its hands, voice rising in pitch. "I'm not going to hurt you, please don't stab me."

_Don't let it get in your head._

It didn't say anything for a moment, as if waiting for him to act. He didn't give it the luxury.

"What are you doing here anyway?" it asked. "No offense but you don't seem old enough to be out here alone and we're way too far for you to have just wandered away from town."

He shrugged, keeping his eyes locked on the human.

_It looks older than me, and it's a lot taller, but it doesn't seem especially strong. I might be able to escape._

The human sighed. "I can't exactly help you if you don't talk to me."

"I don't need your help," he snapped, jaw clamping shut when he saw the human start. _Dammit, I shouldn't have said that. It's just going to get mad._

One beat, two, then the human let out a wheezing laugh. He froze, knuckles white on the handle of his knife.

"That was a start," it snorted. "And you obviously do need my help."

"I don't."

"Dude." It crossed its arms. "You're younger than me and look like a mess. I'm not even supposed to be out here alone, much less a literal toddler."

_Toddler._ That word wasn't familiar _._ He resorted to scowling at the human, making it snort again.

"Look, just hand over the knife-" It reached out, and that was where this stopped.

The hybrid lurched back, giving the human a sharp push. Already unbalanced, it crashed to the ground as he took off running, listening to the faint curses of the fallen human behind him.

It wasn't until he reached the river that he realised it hadn't followed him. He breathed a sigh of relief and headed home.

* * *

"Stop running!" The human stumbled again, cursing loudly. "Dammit, I'm just trying to help!"

"Help someone else!" He swerved around a tree, painfully aware of the harsh footsteps just behind him. "Leave me alone!"

"Leave- you're the one I found sneaking around my camp! Again!"

"Shut up!"

He ducked, feeling a wave of satisfaction as he heard the human get a face-full of damp leaves and twigs. It spluttered and he took full advantage of his new lead, making a quick turn. That didn't last long though, and a second later the human was on his tail again.

"Why are you still following me?" he growled.

"Why are you still running?" it fired back.

"You're chasing me!"

"I'm trying to help!"

"You're trying to kill me!"

"No I'm not!"

_As if I would trust the word of a human_.

The sound of the river greeted his ears and his eyes widened as he stumbled, feet splashing in the icy water. He yelped and lurched back on instinct, slamming straight into the human as it came barreling after him. The human fell, but he couldn't pay attention, all he could feel was the intense, painful _cold_. Blinking back tears, he forced himself to keep running, moving along the river's edge to where he knew the bridge was. 

He became aware of an eery silence behind him, and when he glanced back, the human was... wait, why was the human walking?

It seemed to notice him looking at it, because it slowed and waved.

"I'm tired," it called out. "I'll walk for a bit. You can keep running, I guess, if you want to."

"Stop it," he ground out, hissing to himself. _Stop being so weird._

The bridge loomed again and his stomach dropped, seeing the already damaged planks completely broken through the middle, barely even leaving scraps on the riverbank. His chest tightened and he stumbled, lightheaded, hand catching a nearby tree for balance. He knew he had to keep moving, but his chest sparked with pain and a whimpering grunt escaped his throat.

_Ten seconds, then I'll keep moving._

Those ten seconds kept going though, and suddenly the human was there and his chest hurt and he couldn't _breathe_ and-

"Shh, shh, you're okay." The human rested a hand against his shoulder, and wait, why was he on his knees? Had he fallen? "You're okay, you're safe, take a deep breath."

He forced in a shuddering breath, then another, and slowly the pain faded to a dull ache. His eyes opened (when had they closed?) and he fixed his blurry vision on the human in front of him. Its mask was off, resting beside it. Scars marred its face, stretched and pale, covering almost everything above its mouth. Its eyes were the most notable thing, bright green and creased with worry.

_Why is it worried?_

"You alright?" it asked softly. The hybrid hated it, hated the softness and the worry and above all he hated that he liked it.

He looked away, hands fumbling for his knife. The human picked it up from where it had fallen and handed it to him silently. He took it with averted eyes.

The human starts speaking after a minute. "I assume you were trying to cross the river, since that's where you ran off to last time. It's going to be getting dark soon and since the bridge is broken I don't think it'd be a good idea to cross tonight. So you can stay with me, if you want to."

The boy narrowed his eyes, staring at the ground. _What is it trying to do? Does it want to lure me to its camp and kill me there? Why wait, why not just do it now?_

"I'm not going to hurt you," the human insisted. "You'll be safe, and you can leave at dawn if you want to. I just couldn't live with myself if you left and something bad happened to you."

_That_ was new, and his head jerked up, eyes finally meeting the human's. "What?"

Its face turned red. "Uh, I mean, um, you're just, like, a kid, and I don't want you to be in any sort of danger or, uh, or anything, so... yeah."

He questioned if it was worth the risk. His mind battled against itself, wanting to stay and wanting to leave and one small corner wanting to curl up in the human's arms.

"Okay," he murmured. "I'll go with you."

* * *

Fire was pretty. He'd always loved it, loved the power, the heat, the gentle steadiness. He was almost happy when the human asked him to light a fire, saying it needed to do something about food. It used a lot of unfamiliar words, but he got the information he needed.

He wasn't sure how humans started fires, but with the human gone, there was no harm in reaching out, letting his fingers brush the logs and watching the gentle spark of life that erupted from the touch. It soon roared, and the human seemed surprised when it returned, a thick bundle in its hand. It settled beside the fire and took out a few pieces of meat, connecting them to a strange hot pole balanced over the flames. The hybrid stared. Whenever he needed to cook, he just held the food in the flames with his hands. Humans were burned by heat though, so it made sense they wouldn't be able to do the same.

"So," the human sat back, mask in hand, fiddling with it absently. "Do you have a name?"

He froze. That was a question people rarely asked, but it never ended well when they did. "Do you?"

The human laughed. "I'm Dream."

"I..." _Dammit, what are humans named?_ He hadn't interacted with enough humans to know their names. "I'm, uh, Sapnap."

It was fitting, really. That was one of the few names he remembered, a memory stained with blood and fear.

"That's a cool name." Dream gave him a smile and he tried to smile back. "What are you doing out here anyway?"

He forced down the panic in his chest. "I live out here."

Dream's brow creased. "Like me, huh? I don't have a home either."

"Oh." How was he supposed to answer that? _Your kind only ever hurts mine, why am I even listening to you?_

Dream reached out to twist the pole and one of the pieces of meat, not attached properly, slid off into the flames. The hybrid hadn't been thinking properly, paying more attention to the human beside him than in maintaining the brief safety he had. And so, when it fell, he simply reached out and grabbed it from the flames. The human's shocked yell broke him from his thoughts and he stumbled back, heart racing, releasing his grip.

"Oh my gods, why did you do that?" the human cried. "Are you okay? How badly are you burned? Give me your hand, I should have bandages somewhere here."

He gasped for breath. "I-"

Dream reached for him and, before he could stop it, took his hand. The human froze, looking at the perfectly undamaged skin, cool to the touch even. It stared into nothing for a beat and the hybrid wheezed silently.

"Wait... are you a-" Dream's eyes flicked up to him. "Wait, oh gods, Sapnap, okay, calm down. Sit, sit down, you're fine, I'm not gonna hurt you, you just need to relax, okay, just relax."

The boy gasped for breath, breathing shallow and fast. He drew in a deep breath, then another, trying to get it back under control. Dream moved and, without thinking, his hands flew up in front of him, bracing himself for the sharp sting of metal that never came.

"People are so fucked up," Dream sighed. Its hand rubbed small circles on the hybrid's back. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. You're safe with me, I won't do anything and I won't tell anyone. I promise."

He was silent, focused on breathing, but he knew the human felt him relax because as soon as he did it sighed again, this time sounding more relieved than anything else.

"You swear you won't tell anyone?" he croaked.

"Swear on my life."

And maybe, just for now, that could be enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am absolutely projecting onto every character in this and no one can stop me
> 
> Don't worry, from after this chapter Dream is no longer an it and Sapnap has a name


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sapnap isn't alone anymore and that in itself is strange

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS NOT SHIPPING, THIS IS A TOUCH STARVED CHILD RECEIVING PHYSICAL CONTACT, DON'T BE CREEPY

Sapnap wasn't sure how much time had passed, but it hadn't been long, not as far as he was concerned. The weather began to warm, snow melting away as quickly as it appeared. But there was still a chill to the air that made his bones ache and his breathing cramp when he moved too fast. His human companion seemed oblivious, gasping every time he spotted new clear patches and laughing when he once again heard the trilling of birds. His smile always seemed to be there, grinning at Sapnap from under his smiley mask.

"Why do you wear it?" he'd asked one day. The words left his mouth unthinkingly and he shrank back.

Dream seemed thankfully unbothered by the question. "For safety. I come from a, uh, not very nice place, and I don't want anyone to recognise me in case they try to take me back. Besides, if something hits me in the face, I'm more protected!" He grinned.

They'd been working together since the night Sapnap decided to stay, spending most days in a distant form of companionship. Dream was rarely silent, humming his way through everything he did. It bothered Sapnap at first ("what if something hears you and attacks us?"), but as time went on he found himself enjoying it, even joining in on occasion. Dream would grin at him like he'd hung the sun in the sky every time.

The human had brought it up once.

"You jump at every sound, what are you afraid of? Monsters don't even attack you," he'd mentioned offhandedly.

Sapnap just shrugged, figuring that Dream would be offended if he pointed out that _he_ was the exact thing the boy feared. Dream would understand, but the black-haired child didn't know that yet.

This day was just like most others. They woke up on opposite sides of their small base. Dream's original camp, as he'd all but dragged Sapnap here after seeing how small the younger's home was. Sapnap nudged the fire, having burned itself out during the night, as Dream dug around their supplies to find where he'd stored the water bottles.

"So... what should we do now?" Dream asked. His voice was oddly serious.

Sapnap looked up at him, head tilted slightly. "What do you mean?" His heart pounded and he cursed the fear that filled him.

"We've been here for a while, and the weather is warming up. It would probably be a good idea to move on," Dream explained. "So where should we go?"

"I, uh, I've never been away from here before."

"Then this is a great way to start! It's getting warm again, and while this place is great for winter, the summers get so hot it's hard to get food."

"I also don't know what other places are like," Sapnap pointed out. "So I don't know if this one is good."

"There's a village a ways North," Dream mused. "That could work. It's close to the beach too, we'd some rarer trades, build up our inventory."

Sapnap shuddered. "Please no."

Dream glanced at him, seeming to remember the boy's hybrid traits. "Villages are probably a bad idea, huh? Okay, well, I think I remember a plains biome over to the West that seemed uninhabited. It's fairly open, but there are some trees and a lot of long grass so we can hide if we have to."

He thought it over in his mind and nodded hesitantly. The human across from him broke out in a grin, leaping to his feet.

"Great!" Dream chirped. "We can spend the next couple days gathering supplies to travel, then we can head out! I'm going hunting, wanna come?"

* * *

"Sapnap," the boy groaned, "go to sleep, I can tell you're still messing with the fire. We're leaving tomorrow, you need rest."

He looked over at the boy, curled in his sleeping bag, then back at the fire in front of him. "It's cold."

He remembered the first time he'd slept in the fire. Dream had nearly screamed, staring at the hybrid lying among the flames, only calming down when Sapnap explained that yes, he was okay, and no, it didn't hurt.

Dream rubbed his eyes, sitting up slightly. "You could've just said you were cold. Get over here, there's plenty of space."

Sapnap froze. Half of him wanted to run, to disappear into the trees and never come back. It would be easy, too. The human could barely see in the dark, he could get away with no effort. Anything to avoid getting too close. Anything to stop himself from getting attached.

The other half desperately wanted to give in, and he listened to it.

He walked closer. Dream, mask put away for the night, yawned and moved to make room as he carefully slid in. His heart pounded so loud he could swear Dream heard it, but if the human did he made no comment, simply wrapping an arm around the hybrid and moving to lay back down. He'd barely started before he froze, eyes widening in the dark.

"Holy- you're so warm!" Both arms encircled Sapnap now, tugging him against the boy's chest. "Oh my gods, please don't ever leave, how are you this warm?"

Sapnap's skin felt like it was on fire, breath beginning to quicken at the proximity. _Is this hugging? Why is he hugging me? Is he going to hurt me? Do humans like_ this?

Dream seemed to notice his panic, grip loosening. "Sorry, I wasn't thinking. Is this okay? You can tell me to stop."

Something wrenched in Sapnap's chest and held back an urge to cling to the human. "N-no, it's okay, you just surprised me. You don't have to stop."

"Okay." Dream smiled and relaxed. He held Sapnap to his chest, the younger one's head under his chin and his arms wrapped around the boy.

Sapnap let out a shaky breath and looped his arms around Dream's torso, eyes shut, letting himself slowly drift away. If this wasn't going to last, he'd make the most of it while he could. Gods knew it had been so long since he'd had this kind of contact.

* * *

The blaze hybrid woke first, faintly aware of a pressure around him. He felt something shift and opened his eyes blearily, looking up at the boy curled around him. Dream breathed slowly, smile present even in sleep. It was early, the sky a faint gray and the air around them icy. Sapnap sighed at the warmth that surrounded him. It was different to the heat of fire, a feeling that was hot on the outside but did nothing to sooth the ice in his chest. This was different, it warmed him from the inside out, making every ache fade and his heart feel lighter than it ever had been.

"Sap?" Dream yawned, pulling away and rubbing his face. He blinked a few times before looking over at the boy and smiling. "Good morning."

"Morning," Sapnap murmured. "I, uh, we should get ready to leave."

Dream laughed softly, voice still heavy with sleep. "Relax, we have all the time in the world." He opened his arms. "I don't want to get up until I can actually see the sun."

Sapnap relaxed back into his arms. "Okay."

And like that they stayed, until the sun rose high and they were forced to move on to new adventures. Neither looked back.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confessions and cuddle time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I want fluff I'll write it

Sapnap took a deep breath, eyes half-lidded in the sunlight. The pack he held felt light on his back as the sunlight hit his skin and a gentle smile crossed his face. They'd reached it. After days of trudging through shadowy forests and half-melted snow, they'd reached the plains. There they stood, greeted by wide swaths of open grassland. He could distantly see trees ringing the area, pale birch that left beautiful dappled shadows on the ground. Not far away, he spotted a thick river slicing through the earth. A loud sound came from nearby and he jumped, staring wide-eyed at the sheep next to him.

"It's pretty nice, isn't it?" Dream laughed. "Come on, that spot over there looks perfect!"

He followed as the human led him to a small group of trees clustered along the riverbank. Dream dropped his bags and took out an axe, grinning.

"If we cut down a couple of these we can make a pretty neat camp," he explained. "The structure will be easy and it'll be no problem to defend."

Sapnap nodded again and with that they began, cutting down the trees in the center of the spot and using the ones left standing to rig a shelter, planks covering the roof and logs making up the surrounding walls. As Dream cleared away leaves and dead undergrowth, Sapnap collected clay from the river and used it to patch up any holes in the structure, closing them off from the icy wind. They found themselves slumped inside their new home as the sun faded from the sky, stars beginning to dot the dark expanse.

"I'm not gonna be able to move tomorrow," Sapnap groaned. He reached out, fingertips brushing the stack of wood they had set up and watching as fire spread across it.

Dream took a sip of water, snorting. "Too bad, we have more work to do." He sighed appreciatively as warmth spread through the room.

"How long are we going to be staying here for?" Sapnap poked at the fire absently.

"What do you mean?" Faint shuffling, then the sounds of someone rummaging through a bag.

The flames tickled his skin as he swept a hand through them. "You said we have work to do tomorrow, but this place is basically set up, so unless we're staying here for much longer I'm confused."

Dream snorted and tossed a small satchel at the hybrid. "I figured we'd stay here for a while. It's a nice place and if all goes well we shouldn't need to leave until winter, and that's only if there isn't enough food here to last."

"Huh." Sapnap opened the bag and took a bite of the food stored within.

"Do you want to leave?"

"No."

Dream grinned. "Then we're staying!"

"Don't you have somewhere to go?" Sapnap closed the bag and set it aside. "You know, family to get back to or something? You said you came from a bad place but surely you have somewhere you have to get back to." _I know I do, and humans all seem to._

"Uh, no, not really." The blond rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't exactly have any family or, uh, or anyone like that. I had friends, I guess, but it's safer for them if I stay away."

"Why?" He wrinkled his nose.

"Um, I didn't leave in the best, uh, the best way," Dream sighed. "I was supposed to fight this guy, but I knew him and I didn't want to, so I ran away. They, uh, the people in charge weren't happy, and if I go back I'll just have to fight again."

"How does that hurt your friends?" Sapnap stared at the fire. _Humans are weird._

"They're the people I had to fight."

He paused. "Oh."

There was silence for a moment, filled only by the crackling of flames and distantly chirping crickets.

"What about you?" Dream asked. "You got anywhere to go?"

Sapnap snorted. "Ah, not really. I mean, there's somewhere I want to go, but it's not possible, so I'm here."

"I'm sure it's possible. Where is it?" Dream unclasped the mask, setting it on the floor.

The hybrid raised an eyebrow at him. "It's the Nether, Dream."

"Oh. Oh, yeah, no, that's not gonna be easy."

They were interrupted by a loud groan and Dream jumped to his feet, hand reaching for the sword resting nearby. Sapnap just sighed.

" **Don't be weird** ," he said loudly. " **The human won't hurt you as long as you don't try to eat** **him**."

There was a pause, and Dream's gaze burned a hole through him. The human's mouth was open in surprise.

" **I will not attack** ," came the reply. " **I was... damaged, and need rest**."

Sapnap rose and pulled away the makeshift door, ignoring Dream's yelp, and let the zombie shuffle in past him. Dream backed away, eyes flicking between the two.

"You're fine, it won't kill you," Sapnap sighed. "It just needs to sit down for a while."

The zombie looked at Dream for a minute more before lowering itself beside the fire.

" **What hurt you?** " Sapnap asked, sitting across from it. Dream sat carefully beside him, leaning into the younger's side in an attempt to avoid getting close to the monster.

The zombie laughed hoarsely. " **A human. It shot me before I could get away.** " It waved a hand at the arrow in its shoulder.

" **Would you like me to remove it?** " He'd seen this hundreds of times before, and he knew that the creature would heal in time. Removing the arrow would help speed the process though, and spare it unnecessary discomfort. Not pain, he knew they couldn't feel that, but discomfort.

" **It will be alright.** " The zombie laughed again. " **This way I can store a weapon without needing to carry it.** "

Sapnap snorted and Dream jerked his head to look at him.

"You owe me an explanation later," Dream whispered.

He nodded and looked back at the zombie, who was staring into the distance. "I can speak the language of monsters, that's about it."

Dream's eyes widen. "Can all monsters speak it?"

"Pretty much all can understand it. Not everyone can speak though." _Like the creepers, who spoke only in hisses, or the skeletons, who lacked the features needed to speak at all._

"Huh, that's... really cool." Dream's eyes shone in the gloomy light, green and burning. "Will you teach me?"

Sapnap lurched back. "What?" _Why would a human want to know it?_

"Will you teach me?" he asked again. "It could be really useful to know! Like, if I get lost and need to convince a monster not to kill me, or if we're around people and have to talk in a secret code so they don't know what we're saying, or-"

"Okay, okay, I get it. Fine, I'll teach you." He cut Dream off again when the human opened his mouth. "Later though, not now."

Dream laughed quietly. "Yeah, alright. Thank you, really! This is gonna be so cool!"

Sapnap glanced at the zombie, still with an absent look in its eyes. "It'll be like that for a while, that's how they rest. We should get some sleep."

"Are you sure it won't attack while we're sleeping?"

"Please, it doesn't need to. It's easy for them to find food, no need to go around killing everyone they see."

"I trust you." Dream still looked nervous, but he hooked an arm around the black-haired boy's shoulders, pulling him down onto the sleeping bag.

Sapnap resisted a snort and let himself relax into Dream's arms, a warm feeling flooding through him.

"Goodnight, Sap," Dream yawned, arms wrapped tight around him.

"Goodnight," he whispered back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good good duo (for now...)


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something is amiss in the Dream Duo's home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Panic attack-ish stuff happens, be warned! Sapnap is a panicky child and gets scared a lot

Faint rustling greeted Sapnap's ears as he woke. Breath stirred the hair on his neck, slow enough to let him know his companion was still asleep. He yawned, shrugging off the arms encircling him and cursing internally as the warmth fell away with them. Rubbing sleep out of his eyes, the hybrid dragged himself to his feet.

"Sap," Dream groaned. "Come on, it's too early."

Sapnap snorted and kicked him lightly. "Get up, lazy. You can't spend all day in bed."

"But it's _cold_ ," the human whined, pulling the blanket tighter around him.

"You're one to talk."

Dream sighed, brushing hair away from his face and reaching for his mask. "Touché."

They'd been here a long time, at least as far as Sapnap was concerned. It was the longest he'd spent in any one place since he'd gotten stuck in the overworld. He didn't know exactly how long had passed. Years? Dream described the time that way. All he knew was that the weather had grown cold more times than he could count. It warmed again eventually, but he cursed those periods of ice. His friend stood by him even closer when they occurred, making sure he had layers of clothing and not complaining once when the hybrid slumped against him at the end of the day. They'd fallen into a nightly routine, both boys appreciating the safety and comfort it brought.

It was warm now, thankfully. Not long after they'd built their home (a house, Dream called it once, the word unfamiliar but oddly sweet), they started a farm. Sapnap spent a long time staring as Dream worked the dirt, a confused expression on his face that only grew more perplexed as the masked boy explained growing crops. As much as Sapnap argued it wasn't possible, the plants grew, and soon Dream was teaching him how to turn it into bread.

"This is stupid," Sapnap had sighed. "You can't eat grass, and you certainly can't turn in into food."

Dream let out a wheezing laugh. "It's not grass, Sap, it's wheat, which you're supposed to eat."

"Wheat?" _That's a new word._ He shook his head. "You're dumb. Go eat your dried plant, I'm gonna find some real food."

Sapnap taught the other too, guiding him through the intricacies of monster language. Dream was far from perfect, still messing up complicated words and sentences, but he could speak, and sure enough, the human had found it coming in handy numerous times.

"Just tell it to go away." Sapnap let out a yawn, sitting back and watching through half-lidded eyes as the creeper drew closer.

Dream tightened his grip on the sword. " **Go away**."

The creeper paused, staring at him for a moment longer before hissing quietly and turning to leave. Dream stared after it with an incredulous expression, making Sapnap snort with laughter.

Both boys grew older, Dream rocketing up in height until Sapnap had to crane his neck to meet the human's eyes. Dream had tried to tease him about it once, but at Sapnap's confusion he let the subject drop. Their house (Sapnap still refused to call it that) slowly grew as well. They built up the walls and made a proper door. Dream fixed a trapdoor to the roof to let out smoke. Sapnap dug a basement, walls lined with stone and chests, entrance half-hidden in the corner of the shelter. They built it into a proper home and finally, for the first time in so long, they were safe.

"Sapnap?" Dream called, voice muffled. "Can you come here for a second?"

The hybrid pushed the door open, stepping inside. "Yeah?"

Dream looked up at him. "Do you know where I put the extra wheat? I thought I left it here, but it's gone. Did you move it?"

"I haven't been inside all day, did you check the storage room?"

"You mean your secret bunker?" The blond snorted. "No, it's not there either."

"Huh." Sapnap furrowed his brow. "I don't know where else it would be."

"I don't either. It's not serious anyway, there's still plenty." Dream waved a hand. "Don't worry about it."

* * *

Sapnap squinted, wincing at the glare of sunlight. _It can't be._ "Uh, Dream?" _There's no way..._

"Yeah?" The human didn't move from his place beside the river, spear in hand, waiting for an unlucky fish to get too close.

"Has that always been there?"

"What are you talking about?" Dream followed his gaze, up into the trees. "I don't see anything, what are you looking at?"

Sapnap sighed and grabbed his arm, moving the green-eyed boy a few paces back. " _There_."

Above them was what looked almost like a nest, a mess of belongings too strange to be anything but human. The blaze hybrid could spot a water pouch danging next to a small bag and his stomach twisted.

"Huh." Dream frowned, hand unconsciously coming up to brush his mask. "Any chance it might be abandoned?"

"I don't want to risk it." Sapnap's heart pounded and he felt his hands beginning to shake.

Dream seemed to realise, because he grabbed the boy's shoulders, leading him back down the riverbank and towards their home. Sapnap's breathing stuttered.

Harsh ringing made his ears ache and he was distantly aware of Dream's voice, murmuring quiet comfort. He drew in a breath, silently pleading for his breathing to slow. Gravel crunched under his knees (when had he fallen?). Hands took his own, thumbs rubbing circles on his wrists. The soft pressure pulled him back to reality and he shot a grateful look at the human in front of him.

"You're alright," Dream said quietly. "Even if there's someone there, they're not going to hurt you. I'll protect you."

Sapnap gripped Dream's hands. "Thank you," he whispered.

Dream pulled him into a hug and he sank into the embrace, releasing a shaky breath. Somewhere in the trees, bright sunlight shone, reflected on a pair of black and white goggles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I adore the comments, even if I'm too awkward to reply to them!! Y'all are really sweet!
> 
> The rest of this fic is planned out but I also have a bunch of mini stories and things set in the same universe that I want to write so I'll probably put them into a series! :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The duo becomes a trio

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Sapnap panic, it's in almost every chapter oops  
> Don't worry he'll get some more happiness soon

The hybrid could only think one thing before falling to his knees, nails digging into his palms.

_This isn't going well_.

He resisted the urge to curl in on himself, gasping for air. Dream looked almost amused as he held the collar of the other human, kicking in his grip and yelling obscenities. He glanced over at Sapnap, expression flicking to concern beneath the mask. Sapnap gave him an affirming nod.

"Let go of me!" the stranger shrieked. "I'll kill you both, let me go!"

Dream scoffed. "Oh come on, I don't think you're in the position to be making threats."

"Fuck you," he spat back. He spotted Sapnap, kneeling on the floor, and snorted, blowing a strand of dark hair out of his eyes. "What's wrong with your friend? Is he dying or something?"

The black-haired boy looked up, gold eyes meeting brown. "Shut up, I'm fine." _Please don't hurt me, please don't hurt me, please don't hurt me.  
_

"You don't look it. You look like you're sick and dying. I hope you die, that'll make things easier for me." The human kicked at Dream again. "Let me go, if you don't I'll call for help and my friends are going to come kill you."

Dream just laughed. "I don't think that's going to happen, from the looks of it you're completely alone."

Sapnap spotted fear surfacing on the kid's face for barely a second before it was covered. "You must be blind, there are guys everywhere, waiting for the command to attack."

Groaning, Sapnap rose to his feet, heart beginning to calm. "Dream, can we please just leave him?"

"Hey, I'm right here!" the brunet snarled. "Don't talk about me like that!"

Dream shook him lightly to shut him up. "We can't leave him here, Sap, he looks pathetic." The blond jerked his head towards the small pile of belongings nearby.

Sapnap narrowed his eyes. "Dream, you'd better- **you'd better not be saying what I think you're saying**."

" **But he looks... bad.** " Dream paused to think, ignoring the stranger's yells. " **He looks not healthy.** "

" **Unhealthy** ," Sapnap corrected. " **I know, but he's dangerous.** " _All humans are._

" **Sap** ," Dream pleaded. " **Please? Can we try? If it goes bad, he won't stay.** "

"Fine." The hybrid let out a sigh. " **If he steals our stuff it's on you**."

Dream's face broke out in a grin and he turned to address the stranger. "Alright, you're obviously sad and have nothing, so we're going to help you!"

The brunet looked terrified and he tried to pull away, struggling in Dream's grip.

"Dude, you're saying it like we're going to kill him," Sapnap snorted.

The human almost looked offended. "Why would you say that? I'm being nice!"

"No, it definitely sounds like you're going to kill me," the boy hissed.

Sapnap snorted. "Dream's being weird. If you want to stay with us you're allowed to, since we have food and shelter and you obviously don't. We won't hurt you as long as you don't attack us. Do you have a name or something we can call you?"

He paused in his struggles. "George. Are you being serious or is this a trick so you can kill me later?"

"What is your obsession with killing?" Dream released his grip, letting the other stumble away. "No, this isn't a trick, you clearly need help and we're giving it."

George scoffed. "Excuse me for not taking your word for it, mister creepy mask guy, it's not like you're a total stranger who just grabbed me and threatened my life."

Dream burst out laughing. "Oh my gods, you're my new favourite. Sorry, Sap, he's mine now."

Sapnap rolled his eyes, turning back to the newcomer. "Follow me, I'll show you where we live. Bring your stuff too."

Despite the suspicion etched into his face, George scooped up the small pile on the ground and followed behind him, staring daggers into the hybrid's back. Sapnap forced himself to keep moving, hand unconsciously rubbing at the markings under his shirt and praying they stayed covered. He didn't miss the way George's footsteps faltered as the house came into view.

"Damn," George muttered. "You guys were serious."

"Serious about what?" Dream piped up, taking the rear of their odd little party.

The brunet didn't even look at him, pretending the human hadn't spoken.

"You're welcome to stay as long as you want," Dream went on. "Just don't be a prick, you know?"

At George's continued silence, Dream sniffed. "Sapnap, make him stop ignoring me."

"I can't make him do anything." Sapnap pushed the door open.

George snorted and the blaze hybrid ignored the feeling of pride that shot through him.

"Anyway, this is where we live." He gestured at the space around them. "There's a basement downstairs for storage-"

Dream coughed. "Secret bunker."

"-and everything else is up here. Fire gets lit during the night unless it's too hot." _Which is never is, but Dream insists on it._

The brunet nodded awkwardly. "Thanks."

He glimpsed Dream's grin in the corner of his eye and sighed.

* * *

Sapnap sat back, resisting the urge to reach out towards the fire. It was an unusually cold night and the flames were so warm, right there in front of him. He would've done it if not for the other person in the room, the not-a-complete-stranger-but-still-pretty-much-a-stranger that kept looking at him with a weird expression. Dream was slumped against him, absently tying small braids in the younger's hair.

"We should cut your hair soon," Dream murmured. "I could teach you how to do it."

"But then I'd have no use for you," Sapnap laughed softly.

Dream yawned, snuggling closer. "Admit it, you're too clingy to be without me."

"I'm not clingy, you're just old and need help with everything."

"You're a little clingy child who wants attention."

George huffed. "You're both children."

Dream shifted slightly. "Oh yeah? You're even smaller than me, how old are you?"

"How old are you?" George fired back.

"Fourteen."

"Seventeen."

"What?" The blond sat up straight. "No way, there is _no way_ you're seventeen! What are you even doing out here?"

George faltered, looking uncomfortable. "I dunno. I am actually seventeen though, I'm just small."

"You're just not a freak giant," Sapnap said. "Unlike someone here."

Dream let out a wheezing laugh and fell back into him, nearly dragging the hybrid to the ground. Sapnap couldn't help but laugh with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> George is 17, Dream is 14 and Sapnap is 12  
> They be youngins


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Late night storytelling? More likely than you think

Darkness fell away and Sapnap found himself reaching, mind fuzzy, skin ice cold. He blinked his eyes open and found himself sprawled half-under the blankets, cool night air raising goosebumps along his skin. The fire had burned down long ago, now barely more than a couple glowing embers hidden among the ash. Dream muttered something in his sleep and rolled over, making a small smile cross the hybrid's face. He rubbed a hand over his eyes and looked up. A shriek was barely contained when he met bright eyes, nearly glowing in the dark. George's gaze turned to a glare when the attention fell on him.

Sapnap did his best to shake off the residual fear, heart pounding painfully in his ears. "Why are you awake," he whispered.

George shrugged, looking away.

"Is something wrong?"

"I'm fine," George hissed. "It's just cold."

Sapnap shivered in sympathy. "You could've said something. We have plenty of spare blankets, you don't need to be all brooding and dramatic."

"I'm not dramatic," the brunet scoffed.

The hybrid rolled his eyes. "My point still stands."

"It doesn't matter, it's just cold."

"'Course it matters." _The cold hurts, it hurts so much_.

"Why?" George narrowed his eyes.

"Because it wouldn't exactly be useful if you froze to death during the night?" Sapnap sighed. "Because everyone deserves something as simple as warmth? Because I'd rather you didn't turn into a corpse? Take your pick."

"You act like you care."

"Oh no, I couldn't care less. But Dream liked you, so if you die now he'll get all upset."

George snorted. "You're stupid, you know that right?"

"Yes, I know that I'm stew-pid, thank you for reminding me." Sapnap laughed softly. "Really though, you can just ask. Like Dream said, don't be a prick and you're fine."

"That's why you're stupid," George murmured. "You should really be kicking me out."

"Why would we do that?" _Please don't leave._ He faltered at the thought, pushing it away. _It's fine if he leaves, we don't need him, even if he does seem nice._

_And funny._

_And-_

"Because it doesn't benefit you to have to deal with an extra person?" The brunet made a face. "See, this is why you're stupid."

Sapnap hugged himself slightly. "Extra people doesn't mean anything. Just because you're with people doesn't mean you're hurting them."

There was silence for a moment, and he could hear George's breathing stutter.

"You can stay with us if you want to," he continued quietly. "No one's gonna force you to stay, but if you want to, you can. You're not gonna be a burden or anything."

George sniffed and cleared his throat. "Um, yeah, thanks. It's just been a while, I guess."

"How long have you been alone?"

"A few years now." George laughed bitterly. _Years, that's what Dream always says. How long is a year?_ "I used to stay with a friend of mine, but he... we got split up, and I haven't seen him since." The brunet looked away, a faint shine in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Sapnap murmured.

"Nah, nah, it's fine, it's my fault, really. The hunters wouldn't have chased him if I didn't lead them right to him."

The hybrid bristled. _Hunters. Dream says that a lot. That's what he calls the humans, the ones who are paid to kill. They'd run into a few of them during their time together and it never ended well._ He could still remember the way the blood splattered Dream's mask, turning the soft smile into an almost ghoulish nightmare.

George seemed to notice his panic, and he coughed. "Uh, sorry, I didn't... yeah, don't worry about it."

"He was taken by hunters?" Sapnap whispered before he could stop himself.

"I, uh, I don't know. They split up, some chased him and some chased me, and when I finally lost them I couldn't find where he went. I stayed at our camp for a while in case he came back but had to move before I got found. He was a more valuable target anyway, it makes sense they'd be more focused on him."

Sapnap's heartbeats were loud, it was all too loud. He fought down the urge to press his hands over his ears, to curl up beside Dream and forget this ever happened.

"Was he a hybrid?"

George shifted. "Yeah. I, um, I was never bothered by it or anything, if that's what you're asking, or... sorry, I don't know, but yeah, he was."

Sapnap let out a slow breath, and nodded. "Okay. I... I am too."

The brunet blinked. "Oh, um, okay. Cool."

The silence stretched on for a while longer. Sapnap saw George shivering in the corner of his eye and he sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Get over here."

He gestured George closer, and when the human complied, pulled him down into the pile of bedding. George squeaked and he heard Dream shift, but then all three fell still. George shivered again scooted closer, tucking himself under the blankets beside the hybrid. Sapnap felt arms curl around him and George leaned in, sighing at the warmth. The black-haired boy snorted, George wrapped around him on one side and Dream lying on his other, breathing deeply. Closing his eyes, he let the warmth and the darkness envelop him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love y'all so much, you're too nice! <3


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some things change, some stay the same

Leaves twirled as they fell, accompanying the loud thud as of a figure landing beside him. Sapnap huffed, blowing hair out of his eyes. 

"What were you even doing up there?" He waved a hand at the tree, its branches still trembling.

George grinned. "Looking for you, of course."

Sapnap rolled his eyes. It hadn't been long since the brunet joined them, but he seemed to fit right in. The anxiety he showed when he first joined (a couple weeks ago, according to Dream) had faded, replaced by newfound energy. Sapnap could still remember that first morning, Dream having woken up first and been shocked to roll over and see the face of a stranger.

"So..." George scuffed the ground with his shoes. "You doing much?"

The hybrid shook his head and George's grin widened.

"Great! Come on, I have something to show you!"

Sapnap barely had time to blink before the human grabbed his wrist and began to drag him away. He sighed, but followed along, letting George lead him across the plains. They crested a small hill and George finally stopped before a small pen, rough fence looking like it was barely holding itself together. There was a sheep inside, looking at him with a blank expression. Its wool was dyed bright yellow.

"What do you think?" George asked. His face shone with pride and Sapnap snorted.

"Very cool, Gogy."

"I know, right? Who ever heard of a green sheep?" He paused for a second. "I mean, yeah, it's not naturally green, but that's not important! And if we shear it we can use the wool to fix Dream's hoodie! It's like a pet, but more useful!"

"Huh?" Sapnap frowned. "Green?"

"What?"

"That's not green."

"What are you talking about? Of course it is."

"It's really not." Sapnap looked back at the sheep. _Definitely yellow._

George narrowed his eyes. "Don't mess with me. It's the same colour as Dream's hoodie, and the hoodie is green."

"How is it the same colour? It's a completely different colour!"

The human huffed. "Are you blind?"

"Are you?" _What if-_ "Wait, no, I remember Dream talking about something like this. Something about humans who can't see colours."

"I'm not colourblind!" George yelped. "You're colourblind! I can see colours just fine!"

_Colourblind?_ "I don't think you can." He caught sight of a familiar figure. "Hey, Dream! Come see something!"

The person in question jogged towards them.

"Finally, someone with a brain," George sighed. "Look, the sheep is green, right?"

Dream looked at the sheep, then back at George, expression slowly morphing into confusion. "...no?"

George's face fell and Sapnap howled with laughter.

"You're both dumb," the brunet growled under his breath.

Sapnap patted him on the shoulder. "Whatever you say, Gogy."

* * *

It was warm here. _So very warm_. The hybrid sighed and stretched out, the rocks beneath him soft and familiar. A red haze covered the edges of his vision. He let out a purr and sat up, grinning at the fire that spread all around him, coating the red ground with ash and flickering at the occasional gust of hot wind.

_Warm_.

He caught the sound of quiet snorting nearby and his head whipped around, meeting the eyes of a piglin.

" **Hello, friend!** " he chirped.

It dipped its head. " **Hello, youngling. What are you doing here alone?** "

The boy glanced around. " **Apologies, I didn't realise I'd wandered so far. I was just going for a walk, I'll head home soon.** "

The piglin nodded. " **See that you do. I understand, though, this area is always a nice getaway. It's peaceful here.** "

" **It really is! It's so quiet, and you can just see the fortress in the distance!** "

It hummed in agreement. " **I mustn't stay, there's work to be done.** "

" **Okay!** " He smiled up at the creature. " **It's been nice talking to you, maybe I'll see you next time I'm here?** "

" **Maybe**."

It gave a final nod, then paused.

"Sapnap?"

He faltered. The voice that came out of its mouth was strange, yet... familiar?

It's expression morphed into something that made his chest tighten with fear. "Sapnap!"

His eyes flew open and he gasped, sitting straight up. The human above him stumbled away to avoid getting hit. Panting, he rubbed at his eyes.

"Dream?" he whispered. "What's going on? It's the middle of the night!"

Dream's green eyes were wide, shining in the darkness. "I... there's something wrong, and I saw it earlier but I didn't think about it until a few minutes ago and I needed to tell someone but everyone was asleep then you were saying things in your sleep and I just..." He paused, letting out a breath. "There's something wrong."

"Okay..." Sapnap forced down panic. "What is it?"

"You know George's old camp?" He waited for Sapnap's to confirm. "I was out hunting today and I ended up going past it, so I thought 'hey, that's funny, the tree fell down' and kept going, cause the tree was gone and there was just a stump and a few weird bits and pieces scattered around. But I didn't think it was weird because I did end up fighting him before he joined us so it makes sense that some things would get broken and left behind."

Sapnap nodded.

"But when I was thinking about it I realised that the stump wasn't from a fallen tree, it was from a tree that had been _chopped down_." Dream's voice started to rise. "Someone's been here, Sap! They were here and they cut down a tree, and normally that would be okay because people come through occasionally but they never stay. Except when I was hunting it was really hard to find any animals, and I saw a sheep caught in a trap. If they're laying traps that means they're going to be here for a while. And, if that wasn't enough, I stepped outside to get some fresh air and I smelled smoke so I looked around and I saw their camp!"

The hybrid drew in a deep breath, mind racing. "Okay, okay, yeah, that's not good. Should we wake up George?"

"I'm already up." Something shifted against Sapnap's back and he saw George sit up in the corner of his eye. "No way I could sleep through all that."

Dream looked between them. "We have to leave, right? There were so many of them, and I swear I saw at least one of them with a diamond sword."

George's face paled. "You should've said that first, idiot."

"If they're planning on staying we definitely have to leave," Sapnap murmured. "Okay, we can't waste any time. I'll head down into the storage room and grab everything we need, George come with me."

Dream nodded. "I'll head out and grab anything important from the farms."

The black-haired boy grimaced. "Good luck, Dream. Be careful."

* * *

A hand brushed his lightly and he shot the owner a strained smile. George smiled back and they fell into place. Dream first, to lead the way; then Sapnap, since he was the youngest and the smallest; and finally George, to make sure they weren't being followed.

None of them commented on the fact that George was going with them. There wasn't any way they'd leave him if they wanted to anyway.

"Where are we gonna go?" Sapnap whispered to Dream. _We've been here for so long. It's home. I don't even know where else we can go_.

Dream's voice was tight with stress. "I don't know, Sap. We'll just have to keep moving until we find somewhere we can stay."

Sapnap nodded and shut his mouth. He was young, he knew that, and inexperienced when it came to the overworld, but even he knew they could be in for a very difficult time. Yet something told him it wouldn't be as hard as he thought, not if he still had his friends with him.

As if to prove his point, he felt a wave of warmth as George wrapped an extra cloak over his shoulders.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm probably going to be going back and editing old chapters to make them better and longer so yeah, if you notice any changes that's what's happening

It had been weeks, he knew that now. The strange gaps of time associated with numbers that didn’t make sense to Sapnap, but he figured the others would think him weird if he commented on it.

He decided he didn’t live travelling. Travel meant being cold, carefully hiding in makeshift shelters, sometimes even without a fire. The hybrid could barely stand those nights, curled and shaking in the arms of his friends from when the sun set to well after it rose. To their merit, they hadn’t complained, simply let the boy cling to them as they struggled to survive.

Survive they had, and it was after those strange “weeks” that Sapnap found himself sitting in their camp, wringing his hands and trying to calm his puffing breath. Flames curled around his hands, flickering at his elbows.

“Look, I know it sounds bad.” George had his hands raised, face pleading. “We have to, we’re barely managing out here and Dream I know for a fact you haven’t eaten in days. We’re all hungry, we can just go in, get some food and supplies and leave!”

Dream shook his head. “I don’t know, it’s risky.”

“Not for me,” George smirked. “I’m human and no one knows or cares who I am, I can get in and out with no trouble.”

The blond shook his head again. “We _can’t_. Sapnap can’t go near a village without being in danger, and George, you’re at too much risk going in alone.”

Sapnap tried to speak past the knot in his throat. “He has a point, Dream. And besides, it’s been a long time, I doubt anyone would recognise you either. You two can go in and I’ll wait out here.”

George grinned. “See, Dream? It’s a good plan, we’ll be fine!”

The hybrid tried to breathe deeply. Just like George said, he’d be okay. He was with his friends after all, it would be fine.

* * *

_This is bad_.

Everything was off. Since he first woke up, there was a strangeness to the air, a ghostly shadow that followed each movement, everything just a step out of place.

_This is bad_.

He’d ignored it, convincing himself it was nothing. He waved off his friends, his brothers, as they left for a village spotted the day prior.

_This is bad_.

George had been grinning, face lit up with excitement at the idea of being among other humans once again. He stood silhouetted against the blue-gray dawn, surrounded by a brilliant halo of light. It made him look like a ghost, like if he moved too fast you'd be able to see the horizon through him. Dream was anxious. Sapnap could see him chewing his lip below the mask.

_This is bad._

They’d left, promising they’d return and listening for reassurance that there would be someone to return to. Sapnap didn’t let the fear stop him, didn’t let it stop them, and threw another log on the fire to keep it going.

_This is bad_.

As the day wore on, and Sapnap kept an eye on the sun. They promised they’d come back before sunset, but each second tugged at his heart like he was dying. He wondered if stress could kill. The sun rose, moving steadily overhead. By midday he was pacing, wearing deep tracks in the earth around their campsite. He couldn’t find it in himself to care.

_This is bad._

Time kept moving, too slow and yet too fast. The light began to fade, sun sinking down until it was embraced by the treetops. If he unfocused his eyes, it looked like the trees were set afire, leaves turned gold and red and _glowing_.

_This is-_

“Sapnap!”

The call jerked him from his thoughts and he stumbled to his feet, eyes moving desperately to the hilltop he knew to expect them from. And there they were, two blurry figures, bright light shining from goggles and mask alike, moving quickly towards him.

“You’re back!” The hybrid felt his entire body relax, tension draining. “Are you both okay?”

George skidded to a stop in front of him, breathless. “We’re great!”

“Sorry we took so long,” Dream added. “There was… a lot to see, and we tried to be subtle so it took longer.”

Sapnap nodded. “Yeah, no worries, that’s fine. I'm glad it went well.”

“You’ll never guess what we saw!” The brunet’s eyes were gleaming, shining with sunset fire. “Hybrids! Everywhere! A whole village full of them!”

“Huh?” Sapnap frowned. “That’s… not possible. Hybrids are rare, and well hidden. There aren’t hybrid villages.”

“That’s what we thought.” Dream’s voice was calmer, but still with an excited undertone that make Sapnap’s stomach twist. “We didn’t ask around too much, since that would be suspicious and none of them exactly trusted us, but it seemed like they made the village to be a safe space for hybrids. Besides, we’re so far out it’s not like any sane people come out here.”

Sapnap wrung his hands, mind racing. “So what are you saying?”

“Let’s move there!” George bounced on his toes. “Come on, it’s perfect! We’ll be around people, but without the danger!”

The idea was… unfamiliar. It had been so long since he’d been around anyone other than Dream, and now George. Years since his time in the nether, where there were folks all around he could speak to. Thinking about it, about not being so alone anymore, it scared him down to the bone, but something in his chest was warm.

“…can we sleep on it?” he asked quietly. “Spend the night here, then talk again in the morning?”

George huffed and Dream sent the human a glare, nodding. “Of course," Dream said, "we’re not going anywhere tonight.”

And with the fire burning nearby, George and Dream huddled to one side of him, his hand reaching out to brush the flames, he wondered what it would be like to finally have others.

* * *

“Hurry up!” George jogged a few feet ahead. “You’re both so slow, I want to get there before winter!”

Dream let out a wheezing laugh and began to walk faster, Sapnap speeding up beside him. His heart pounded, but a spark of hope shone through the fear. They entered the village, minuscule by human standards but massive and sprawling to the hybrid. A couple folks shot anxious looks at the group. He spotted fox hybrid quickly darting around the corner, colourful tail whisked away at the first sight of strangers.

Dream leaned over to whisper in his ear. “Do you maybe want to show your hybrid markings? They’re scared ‘cause they think we’re human.”

Sapnap nodded quickly and rolled up his sleeves. The marks shone in the sunlight, spiralling patterns of gold that glowed like lava under his skin. In the corner of his eye he saw another flash of ginger as the fox hybrid peeked back out.

“Hello?” A soft voice called out to them, making the blaze hybrid jump. He span around to see a strange man, posture wary but with a curious lilt to his voice. His face was hidden beneath a dark cloak. “We don’t get many new faces here, it’s nice to meet you.”

Dream went stiff. “Bad?”

The stranger stepped further into the light, pushing back the hood. His skin was grayed, brown hair shadowing clear white eyes. _Enderman, maybe?_ “Dream?”

Dream let out an incredulous laugh. “Is it really you? You’re actually here?”

“Dream!” The stranger, Bad, launched forwards and swept the masked man into a hug, clutching green fabric in clawed fingers. “I can’t believe it, I thought I’d never see you again!”

George cleared his throat. “Sorry, who are you?”

Bad stepped back, sharp teeth forming a grin. “My name is Bad! Dream and I knew each other, quite a while back. We didn’t know if you got out, we assumed you were dead.”

“I’d never die,” Dream scoffed. “Wait, we?”

“Me and Ant!” Bad grabbed Dream’s hand. “Come on, you have so many people to meet!”

George and Sapnap scurried after the two, sharing a questioning glance. Dream looked overjoyed.

“Ant got out too?”

“Yep!” Bad chirped. “I’ll take you to see him, but first I have someone else for you all to say hello to!”

“Bad?” A loud voice chimed in from the house the man emerged from. Sapnap’s eyes widened as a figure stepped out, eyes narrowed against the light. The newcomer’s hair was brilliant white, contrasting tanned skin cloaked in pale blue. _Ghast hybrid._

“Skeppy!” Bad’s grin widened. “This is Dream! The one I told you about! And this is-” He cut himself off with a gasp. “Oh my goodness, I didn’t even ask your names, that’s so rude!”

George snorted. “I’m George, this is Sapnap.”

Skeppy nodded. “Dream, George, Sapnap, got it.” His eyes scanned over the latter, red eyes lighting up. “You’re a blaze hybrid, right?”

“Uh, yes?”

The ghast smiled. “ **So you understand this?** ”

Sapnap froze, excitement running hot in his veins. “ **You can speak it too?** ”

“ **Of course I can. We’re both monsters.** ”

Dream's face was creased with focus as he tried to keep up with the conversation. George just stared at them, eyes flicking between the two hybrids.

“ **Stop being sneaky** ,” Bad chided them. “ **This is like whispering, but worse.** ”

Skeppy let out a laugh. “Okay, okay. It’s cool to meet you guys, I’m gonna get back to my work. Bad, I assume you’ll be busy with them, meet me back here later so we can finish the basement.”

Bad nodded. “Sure thing! We’ll get moving now, I want them to meet everyone before sundown! Love you, Skeppy!”

“Love you too.” Skeppy gave them a wave as he closed the door and Bad turned to face them.

They kept moving, reaching an open area between buildings where two people were talking. Sapnap squinted, trying to figure them out. One was obviously a cat hybrid, shorter than even himself and covered in fur, with round blue eyes. The other was taller, and would’ve appeared human if not for the gray wolf ears atop his head and the tail that wagged gently behind him.

“Ant, Punz!” Bad stopped before them. “I’d like you to meet-”

“Dream!” The cat, Ant, he assumed, launched towards the boy, laughing. “It’s been so long!”

Dream laughed, hugging him back. “It has!” He turned to the other man. “Hi, I’m Dream, this is Sapnap and George.”

"Punz." He glanced between them, giving Sapnap an approving nod though his eyes narrowed at the two humans. "Uh, cool to meet you I guess."

Ant stepped back from Dream and stared up at them all, tail curled. "Are you going to be staying here?"

George spoke before the others could try to answer, but the blaze hybrid couldn't be annoyed. "Hell yes, we are!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You gotta tell the homies you love them, how else will they know


	12. Chapter 12

Bad’s grin widened. “That’s great! There’s even a spare house in the village, so you don’t have to worry about building a new one!”

“It’s a bit rundown though,” Punz added, ears flicking. “You’ll need to fix it before it’s liveable.”

Dream shot Sapnap a questioning glance, and the hybrid nodded. “That’s fine, we can do that.”

“Great!” The enderman hybrid caught Dream’s hand again. “Come on, I’ll take you to the people in charge and we can get you listed as official citizens!”

George faltered. “Wait, people in charge like government?”

Sapnap felt a spike of anxiety. Government means rules, and rules usually meant some kind of restriction on hybrid activity. He wondered what would happen.

“Not really government. They made this place though, and they like to know what’s happening,” Bad explained, pulling them along. “Their house is just up here! I have to warn you though, they can be… a lot to experience.”

“What do you mean-”

A sudden yell interrupted them. “Child, I swear to every god in this hellish world, if you do not put down that sword I will sheathe it in your _throat_!”

Bad grimaced. “That’s what I mean.” He raised his voice, turning to face a grand house beside them. “Hello! There’s some new folks here to stay!”

Sapnap couldn’t help but stare. It was a wondrous building, banners hanging from all sorts of odd protrusions. ‘Balconies’, if he remembered correctly. It took up so much space for a moment he felt like he was back in the nether, with the endless hallways and red brick. Then the door slammed open and people began to flood out.

First came two boys, a bit younger than himself. They stumbled over each other, one cackling like a hyena, the other laughing into his sleeve. The taller of the two (whoa, this kid was even taller than _Dream_ ) had messy blond hair and skin that glinted with a silver sheen. Small spines were faintly visible, raised along his back. The shorter one had curly dark brown hair, floppy ears and rectangular pupils that made his hair stand on end when he caught the boy’s eye.

There was more movement and out stepped a new person, bending slightly to get through the doorframe. Sharp lines crossed his neck, gills cut into flesh that was similarly grayed to the younger boy. He scanned over the scene with a critical glint in his eye, bristling as he saw the two humans but eventually relaxing once he noticed Sapnap standing behind them.

The guardian hybrid was shoved aside as another appeared, and Sapnap could hardly quiet the thrill that ran to him, flames beginning to run across his arms. It was a piglin hybrid, jutting tusks, flicking ears and dark red eyes eerily familiar to the people of his home. He tried to make eye contact, but the man (a teen, if he looked closer) didn’t look up.

Finally, with a presence that seemed to hush the very wind, a man walked into the open. He appeared normal at first, dressed in an odd kind of robe, green-striped hat atop his head. Then Sapnap caught sight of the winds folded behind his back and was filled with awe. They looked so soft, dark gray and white feathers that shifted in the breeze, flexing as if to take off in flight any second.

“Phil!” Bad turned to address the final man, clearly the oldest of the group. “This is Dream, George and Sapnap!”

Phil dipped his head in a slight bow. “It’s good to meet you. My name is Phil, as you’ve likely already picked up, and these are my boys, Techno, Wilbur, Tommy and Tubbo.” He gestured to each person in turn. Techno finally lifted his head as his name was spoken and Sapnap felt the flames pick up. Dream cleared his throat and nudged him.

The silverfish hybrid, Tommy, snorted. “What the fuck? You’re all flamey and shit!”

Techno huffed, giving the boy a short smack. “He’s a blaze, ‘course he is.”

Sapnap recognised that voice as the one they heard before, yelling threats when they approached, and held in a laugh.

“It’s an honour to meet you,” Dream said, noticing the sudden quiet. “We’d like to stay here, in this village, if that’s alright with you? We’ve been travelling for a long time and-”

Phil waved a hand. “Oh, you don’t have to try to convince me or anything, all are free to stay so long as they don’t harm anyone.”

“I suggested they take the old abandoned building on the hill,” Bad chimed in. “It’s just been sitting there for years, it could be nice to fix up.”

“If you’re going to live in that old place, you’ll need a while to fix it.” Wilbur narrowed his eyes. “I don’t think it’s safe for children to be out in a house that’s about to fall down on top of them.”

“We’re not children,” George muttered.

Tommy perked up. “Can they stay with us? Until they’re not gonna go die and shit in their house?”

Phil sighed, a gentle smile crossing his face. “If they would like to, they’re free to stay.”

“Thank you.” Dream glanced at the other two. “I’m sure we’ll be fine though, we’re used to living a little rough.”

“Just because you’re used to it doesn’t mean it’s good for you," Phil replied. “Well, if you change your mind our door is always open.”

“I’ll take you to the house!” Bad stepped back. “Thank you, Phil!”

* * *

“This place is an absolute mess.” George made a face, then sneezed. “I think I’m dying, it’s poisoned me and I’m going to die.”

“Don’t be a baby.” Dream leaned against one of the walls, but jumped back as it crumbled under him.

George threw up his hands. “See? It’s a mess!”

“You said that already. They warned us it wasn’t good, stop being an idiot.”

Sapnap tried to ignore their arguing, instead turning back to the odd jumble of bits and pieces he found in the corner of one of the rooms. He was part way through rooting around when his hands caught metal and he carefully lifted the lid of an old chest. Under the piles of dust were books, dozens of them, leather covers worn and bent in all sorts of ways. He pulled out the one on top, blowing off a cloud of gray, and opened it. He wasn’t sure what he was seeing, a mess of diagrams and words written in an unfamiliar language. There was a picture of some odd contraption, a combination of redstone and pistons that apparently did… something. Sapnap flicked through carefully, pausing on a diagram of a creeper, labelled with things he couldn’t read. There was a similar diagram beside it, this one detailing a hybrid, though of what kind he wasn't sure.

There was a name signed below, in a number of languages. He read through until he saw the language of monsters, the only one he recognised, and figured out what was written.

_Awesamdude_

“Huh,” he whispered, mostly to himself. He placed the book back and closed the chest, promising to return later and figure out the mystery.

* * *

“So you came crawling back to us?” Tommy smirked. He held the door half-open, blocking them from entering, though waves of heat flooded from the house.

George scowled, rain sticking his hair to his forehead. “We would’ve been fine but there aren’t any trees in your stupid village and that house doesn’t have a roof.”

Sapnap shivered, skin feeling like ice even under the layers of clothes. Dream had given him his hoodie, but that wasn’t enough, not even the human’s arms around him was enough. It was cold, so very cold, and it _hurt_.

Tommy yawned. “So you came back here, desperate for help only I can provide.”

The blond yelped as he was shoved aside and Wilbur pulled the door all the way open, muttering curses at the younger boy. The three stepped inside with mumbled thanks. Sapnap trembled in Dream’s grip.

Techno’s voice piped up from nearby. “There’s a fire here, bring your friend before he freezes to death.”

Dream said something back, but Sapnap couldn’t focus, holding desperately onto thin fabric and letting the human steer him towards the heat source. He let out a breath when they reached it, instinctively reaching a hand towards the fire. His eyes fell shut.

“You need to wear warmer clothes,” Techno chided him. “It’s not like you’re going to overheat anyway.”

“Thank you for letting us stay,” Dream sighed. “I didn’t realise the weather would turn so fast.”

“It tends to do that.” Phil’s voice floated over to them, but Sapnap couldn’t bring himself to look. “You’ll get used to it eventually. We don’t have any spare rooms, I’m sorry, but I’m sure the boys could share.”

“No, no, it’s fine, we can sleep out here. I’m just glad to be indoors.”

“Well, if you’re sure.” Phil’s voice moved again, closer this time. “Is he alright?”

Dream’s voice was tight. “He’ll be fine. Thought it'd be warmer than it is.”

“Ah, nether hybrid, right. I’m going to make some tea.” With that, the man’s voice faded.

Something poked at Sapnap and he jolted. “Are you dead?”

Techno sighed. “Tommy, stop being a brat.”

“Fuck you, I’m not being a brat!” Tommy’s voice was loud beside him. Sapnap tried not to wince.

“I think he’s dead.” He didn’t recognise the next voice and slowly opened his eyes, seeing Tubbo on the other side of him. “Oh, he’s not.”

Tommy sat back on his heels. “Damn, that’s a shame.”

“Tommy!”

“I’m not dying any time soon,” Sapnap laughed quietly. “Just cold, is all.”

“In that case…” He felt a warm body press against his side, wooly hair tickling his face. Tommy followed Tubbo’s lead and slumped against Sapnap as well. He felt a soft hand reach out, nails unnaturally sharp, carefully tracing the golden marks on his exposed skin. It was actually kind of nice.

The blaze hybrid heard footsteps, and a hot mug was placed into his hands. He looked up and met Phil’s eyes, a smile on the man’s face as usual, and whispered quiet thanks.

“If you ever need anything, just ask,” Phil murmured. “We’re always here to help.”

And somehow, he couldn’t doubt that what the winged man said was true.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sapnap learns more about his home, past and present

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw // discussion of death and genocide, panic attacks, burns
> 
> Sorry this chapter took so long! The last few chapters should be done faster though! :)

Sapnap grinned at Skeppy as the ghast hybrid handed over a pack full of supplies. They'd been here for a few days, slowly reinforcing the old house. With the gifted materials from the other townsfolk, they should be able to walk on the second floor without falling through soon. The thought made a warm feeling spark in his chest.

“You know,” Skeppy began, “we have a Nether portal. If you wanted to take a trip there, you’d be able to.”

Sapnap faltered, hands brushing the leather of the pack's straps. “Huh?”

“Yeah, we have a portal. A few of us visit pretty regularly.” Skeppy’s expression turned fond. “It’s nice to get home sometimes. And with the End guarded by humans, it’s basically home for Bad too. You might want to check it out.”

The blaze hybrid nodded. “Y-yeah, I’ll be sure to do that. I should get back soon, the others are waiting for me. Thanks, Skeppy.”

“No problem.” Skeppy shot him a grin, sharp teeth flashing in the bright sunlight. “Come back if you need anything else, I’m happy to help, and anyway, Bad would kill me if I wasn't.”

Sapnap’s mind raced as he trekked back to the old house. The Nether had been his end goal for as long as he could remember, his happily ever after, the one place he wanted to return to. But now, with Dream and George, he didn’t know what to do. He wanted to go home, of course he did, it was his _home_ , but that would mean leaving his friends, and he didn’t know if he could do that.

He tried to push away the thoughts as they continued working. They were that much closer to making it a proper home, bedding piled in the center of the first floor and chest full of books hidden away in the corner.

“So…” Sapnap murmured. They’d taken a break, sitting in the few empty spaces on the floor and passing around a bottle of water. “Skeppy mentioned something when I went to see him.”

“Yeah?” Dream puffed. He pulled the smiley mask off, wiping away sweat with his sleeve. “What about?”

“He said that they, um, the village has a portal.” His gaze shifted to the hands in his lap, fiddling with a small piece of metal. He didn’t know what it was from. “A portal to the Nether.”

“Oh.”

The air felt thick.

“Do you want to go through it?” George asked.

Sapnap nodded slowly. “Yes.”

“Okay, then do it.” George sat back, stretching out his legs.

Dream shot the brunet a questioning glance. "What do you mean?”

George shrugged. “I mean he should go to the Nether. Go check it out. It’s probably been a while since you’ve seen it, might as well go look around the place.”

Sapnap bit his lip. “But I…”

“Sap.” George’s hand clamped around his wrist. “Look, I know you, and I know you’re probably all up in your head right now, getting worried about nothing. We can go there together. You don’t have to pick one place, and if you choose to stay there we can come visit you, okay?”

* * *

“I take it back,” George groaned. Sapnap could barely see past the blur of purple. “I’m never going through this portal again, I think I’m gonna be sick.”

The sensation was familiar, and as soon as the scent of smoke hit his nose, he tumbled out of the portal, wide eyes staring at the world all around him. The hybrid heard footfalls as his companions stepped out after him, murmuring quietly among themselves. His hands dug into the soft rocks beneath him, leaving faint handprints. It almost seemed to press back against him. Something in it felt alive.

“So this is the Nether.” Dream let out an appreciative whistle. “I can see why you’re used to heat.”

The masked teen was right. Heat swarmed around him and sank into his skin, filling him with warmth, driving away the constant cold that the Overworld was plagued with. The air was thick yet comforting as he took deep breaths, finally feeling his chest relax. He wasn’t struggling to breathe anymore. In fact, his entire body was flooded with energy.

“What kind of biome is this?” George’s goggles were slid over his eyes and he poked at a vine that dangled beside him. It wobbled, making him grimace. “It’s weird.”

A grin crossed Sapnap’s face. “Crimson forest.”

He’d spent a long time in places like this. The piglins were gruff, but friendly to children and let him run through their midst, even trading with him on the occasions that he had gold to trade with. You couldn’t take a step near them without being blinded by the gold they decorated themselves and their tools with. Dream and George were similarly accessorised, each sporting a pair of bright golden boots, courtesy of Skeppy and Bad. Sapnap heard the faint wailing of a ghast and his grin widened.

“So…” Dream shot him a look. “You’re finally back. Is it like you remembered?”

“It’s even better.” The warmth, the sizzles of lava somewhere in the distance, it was all so much like home.

A loud snort jolted him from his thoughts and he spun, hackles raised, glaring daggers at the hoglin staring them down. George squeaked, darting behind him.

“What is _that_?” he hissed, clutching lightly at Sapnap’s shirt.

The blaze hybrid growled under his breath, but before the hoglin could attack there was a nearby clank of metal, and an arrow was sent through the beast’s skull.

“ **Stupid hog** ,” the piglin huffed. It turned its eyes onto the trio. “ **Child, these humans are friendly?** ”

He nodded. “ **They are. We’re new to the area, could you tell me what’s around? I’m sorry but we have nothing to trade.** ”

Dream nudged his arm. “I have- wait, **I have gold, that okay?** ”

The piglin frowned. “ **It can speak?** ”

“ **Yes, we both can, but the other human can’t** ,” Sapnap explained. “ **Could we trade for a map?** ”

“ **Not from me, but there is another who can. Follow me.** ”

The piglin started off, and they followed, Sapnap pulling George along with a quickly whispered explanation. Dream leaned down to them.

“They called me it,” he murmured. “Does that mean something?”

“Everything’s an it.” Sapnap kept an eye on the piglin as they walked, following a carefully marked path of blue mushrooms. “There’s no he, she, they, none of that. Just it.”

“Oh.” Dream leaned back. "That's a lot simpler."

They reached a clearing where a group of piglins was resting, and the one they spoke to slipped off into the crowd as another took its place to greet them.

“ **Welcome, child!** ” Its gaze stayed rested on Sapnap. “ **It has been a long time since we’ve seen one of your kind! Anything you need, or do you just wish for company?** ”

“ **Thank you for the welcome.** ” He gave it a small smile. “ **We’d like a map, if possible.** ”

It nodded and held out a hand. Dream quickly handed over the gold, and with a wary glance towards the two humans, the piglin walked back towards another of the group.

“That one called you a child too,” Dream mused. “What are ages like here? You don’t really have time, after all.”

“You usually stop being a child once you’re fully grown, but most creatures here call hybrids children no matter their age. It’s about being a child to their species, not an actual child.”

It returned, scroll in hand, and passed it to Sapnap with an affirming huff. “ **If you need anything else, just ask! I do request you keep your friends away though, I’m sure you understand why.** ”

Sapnap nodded. “ **Of course, I understand. Thank you for the map.** ” He turned to address his friends. “Come on, we can sit down over there and take a look.”

George plucked the map from his hands as they settled beneath one of the trees, careful not to crush any of the foliage. His eyes skimmed over it before he screwed up his face and passed it back.

“It’s all in monster, I can’t read it.” He glanced back at the piglins. “I should really learn it some time, apparently it’s more useful than I thought.”

Sapnap laughed softly and opened the map. It marked the forest they were in, bordered by a lava lake on one side, a soul sand valley on another, and the other two fading into warped forest. There was a marking in the lake, one he recognised to be the symbol for a fortress. His stomach twisted. A couple other symbols were unfamiliar to him, so he brushed over them.

Dream squinted at the page. “I don’t understand most of that, but I think that’s a forest over there?” He pointed at where he was referring to. “And that says something about ghosts.”

“It says soul, not ghost. It’s a soul sand valley.” Sapnap lifted his head to call out to the nearest piglin. “ **Excuse me, do you know a way to reach the fortress?** ”

It nodded. “ **There’s a bridge, forged by other hybrids. It leads straight there. Head back the way you came, then when you see a basalt pillar, turn left. You’ll see it.** ”

“ **Thank you for all your help!** ” The blaze rose to his feet. “Come on, let’s go. We’re visiting the fortress.”

The others scurried after him. Dream’s voice was strained beneath the mask. “Are you sure? Those are supposed to be dangerous…”

“You’ll be fine as long as I’m there. If I explain that you’re friendly, no one will hurt you.”

Dream opened his mouth to talk, but George cut him off. “I’m sure we’ll be fine. We’re with you, Sap.”

The statement eased something in his chest and he gave them both a grateful look, hurrying on. Gray flashed in his vision and he spun, greeted by the entrance to a slender bridge, gray stone carefully carved and set into place. It was eerily silent as they crossed, broken only by the faint hissing of lava. He didn’t miss the way Dream shivered when a ghast flew by.

Stepping out onto the dark bricks made a multitude of feeling well up in the hybrid. Sapnap tried not to stumble, memories flashing by. Growing up in a place just like this, the blaze teaching him to survive, telling him stories of his history and the generations that came before, learning about the nether. Being told of the horrors humans had committed, and then one day being attacked by those very same creatures. It was almost too much.

They walked on, but were quickly stopped when a pair of tall figures stood in front of them, stone swords held outstretched and a thick aura around them that made Sapnap’s skin tingle.

The first faced him, empty eye sockets seeming to look directly into him. “ **Safe?** ”

He placed a hand on each of the human’s shoulders. “ **Safe. They won’t attack.** ”

It nodded, as did the second, and stepped back to let them through. He noticed Dream and George looking more and more nervous, but couldn’t find the right words to comfort them, not when he was so _close_.

Those were his thoughts when he turned a corner and stopped, feet rooted in place. Smoke filled his lungs, eyes burning from the light in front of him, something in him burning with heat for the first time in years. The blaze stared back, eyes filled with curiosity.

“ **Child?** ” it hummed. “ **You have brought humans here?** ”

His throat felt dry. “ **They’re friendly. They won’t hurt anyone,** ” he rasped.

The blaze hummed again. “ **If you say so. It is good to see you, child. Much safer here than elsewhere.** ”

“ **Y-yeah**.” He bit the inside of his cheek. “ **Is there… have you heard news from the North Fortress?** ”

It drooped slightly. “ **The North? It has been a long time since we received word from them.** ”

Sapnap felt cold, even in the Nether’s oppressive heat. “ **What do you know of them?** ”

“ **As I said, it’s been a long time.** ” The blaze hummed, thinking. “ **They sent a message warning that human activity had grown in their area, then again that the humans had begun to attack. I was young at the time, but there is one who came from that place, you may speak to it.** ”

“ **Someone from the North?** ” His heart raced. “ **Yes, please, I need to speak to it.** ”

The blaze dipped in the air and floated away, leaving the trio to run after it. George looked more confused than ever, but seemed to be able to read the situation enough to stay quiet about it. Dream just looked worried, hands fidgeting with his sleeves and leaving worn holes in the cloth.

The hallways opened into a larger room, where a blaze was floating, looking out across the seemingly endless lake. The first sang to it, and it moved towards them.

“ **There is a child,** ” the first explained. “ **It asks of the North Fortress.** ”

The second blaze hummed in reply, facing him. It’s burning eyes swept over the other two, glazing with fear before clearing. “ **What do you want to know?** ”

“ **What happened there?** ” He felt sick.

“ **The humans attacked.** ” It sighed, floating lower to rest against the ground. “ **They had been exploring nearby for some time, but hadn’t yet entered the fortress, so we weren’t too worried. But then they did, a whole army of them. They killed everyone. Not even the wither skeletons could stand against them, though in their final actions they managed to grant us time. There was a child with us then, we sent it through a portal in an attempt to keep it safe, though from what I’ve heard from others it wouldn’t have helped. Humans are much too cruel to spare even the younglings. I managed to escape, and flew here. Nothing has been heard of the North Fortress since, and no scouts have ever returned.** ”

The world was spinning, everything pulled away, fading in and out. His knees ached as they hit rock and instantly there was movement around him. A hand on his back, soft voices murmuring in his ears, warmth on his face, humming all around. It was too much. Everything was too much. Too many sounds, too many sensations. His head pounded, gasping for air.

“ **Calm, child.** ” He faintly heard the soft voice and tried to focus on it. “ **You are safe here. What happened was terrible, but it cannot be taken back, only understood and accepted.** ”

“ **Did everyone…** ” His voice was barely a whisper, and he couldn’t finish the question. He didn’t want to.

“ **No one else got out. Only myself, and I suppose the hybrid child, though it is likely gone too now.** ”

His hands curled into fists, nails digging into his palms. “ **It survived. I survived.** ”

The humming faltered. “ **Oh.** ” It drifted closer, warmth circling around him. “ **Dear child, you will be okay. You seem to have made a life for yourself already, no?** ”

Its voice pulled him back into reality, and he was aware of Dream and George on either side of him. The blaze’s heat must be burning them but they didn’t move, staying pressed against him despite the red that bloomed across their skin. For a moment, the burns almost looked like flowers, brilliant pink and red petals.

“ **I guess so...** ” He let out a shaky breath. “ **Thank you for telling me**.”

“ **You needed to know. I’m sure you can’t stay, but if you ever wish to return, I will wait for you. You are a child of my people, after all. I would be a fool to ignore you.** ”

Sapnap’s head dropped, energy sapped from his body in an instant.

“ **Thank you for your help,** ” Dream murmured beside him. His voice was shaking. “ **We should- should bring him home, to rest.** ”

The blaze bobbed in the air. “ **See that you do. And I suppose that if you return as well, I wouldn’t attack you. You’ve watched over our child when I couldn’t, and while I do not trust you, I thank you for that.** ”

The hybrid tuned out the world as he felt his friends tug him to his feet, leading him out of the fortress. They re-entered the portal, and as he felt the swirling nausea of movement, he couldn’t help but feel that he was coming home, no matter the cold or the danger. Because home was with his friends, and wherever they went, he would follow.

As he fell asleep, cradled in the arms of his friends- no, his brothers- he felt the whispers of touch on his skin, tracing the burning markings and muttering soft comforts in the language of his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sapnap having breathing problems because he's used to breathing the nether air and not overworld air? Hell fucking yes
> 
> This chapter becomes much less serious when you imagine George just wandering around the black-and-yellow nether trying to keep up with what's going on while everyone around him is just grunting and growling


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sapnap is finally home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALMOST AT THE END, ONLY ONE MORE CHAPTER TO GO! THE LAST ONE IS BASICALLY AN EPILOGUE/EXTRA SCENES CHAPTER BECAUSE I COULDN’T LEAVE THIS STORY WITHOUT ADDING IT
> 
> People always forget that Sapnap isn’t a huge social butterfly, I love writing awkward interaction scenes

“Come on, hurry up!” George bounced on his toes, pushing his goggles up with one hand. “You’re so slow, just let me do it.”

“I’ve got it, I’ve got it, calm down.” Dream gritted his teeth and twisted the screwdriver a final time. He stepped back with a relieved sigh.

It was finally done. Their house, their _home_ , was complete. The door was set into place, and they had watched Dream add the last touches with an air of finality. It was huge, two stories of high ceilings and wide rooms. They hadn’t had much time to personalise it, only owning the bare minimum they could travel with, but it was done and it was theirs to keep.

“Hello, boys!” The cheery voice was echoed by a high-pitched shriek that made Sapnap wince. Phil seemed unphased as he crested the hill. “Wow, the house looks great!”

“Just finished it!” Dream grinned.

Phil’s hands clapped together. “That’s great! We should do something to celebrate! Why don’t-”

A mass of cloth and gray-toned skin collapsed behind the winged man, accompanied by another shriek. There was a hiss as Phil leaned down, still smiling warmly, and ripped the two apart, holding the collar of each in a hand.

“Let me down, you bastard!” Tommy spat. He glared daggers at Wilbur. “I’ll kill you, you motherfucker, you absolute stupid-”

“I think that’s enough of that!” Phil shook him lightly, a dangerous glint in his eyes despite the ever-present smile, and Tommy went quiet, mumbling under his breath as he was released. Wilbur just glared. “Apologies for them, it appears someone had some possessions stolen that need to be returned _immediately_.”

Sapnap coughed, edging backwards. His hands fumbled on the strap of the bag in his arms. “I, uh, I’m gonna go, I have something to do.”

He didn’t wait to hear the response, walking away as fast as he could without running. He sped past Phil’s remaining children and back into the main portion of the town, where he knew a certain hybrid lived. A flash of fur caught his eye and he slowed.

“Fundy!” The fox turned. “Hey, I was just looking for you!”

“Oh, me? Sure, what can I do for you?” Fundy yawned, stretching.

Sapnap held out the bag. “I found these in the old house, and you seem to be pretty big into redstone, so I figured maybe they’d be more helpful for you. I can’t even read them anyway.”

“Huh?” Claws fumbled with the bag before eventually getting it open, tracing over the spines of the books. “…oh.”

The wistful tone caught Sapnap off-guard. “Sorry, I can take them back if you want-”

“No!” Fundy yelped, clutching the bag to his chest. His tail flicked. “Uh, sorry, I just… I know who wrote these, he left town a long time ago. We were good friends, and still talk in letters, but I haven’t seen him in so long.”

“Oh, um-”

“Thank you, for the books.” The fox’s paws shuffled for a second. “Also, um, Skeppy told me that your house is going to be done soon, so I figured I’d do something to, I don’t know, celebrate?”

“We just finished it.” He glanced back at the house on the hill, watching Dream and George be guided down the path by Phil.

Fundy nodded. “Cool, cool. I’ll get it set up, the thing I was working on, should be able to use it tonight.”

Sapnap was saved from having to respond by a hand clasping his shoulder, fluffy white hair flashing in the corner of his eye.

“Hey Sap, hey Fundy!” Skeppy grinned. “Sorry to interrupt but I’ve been sent to retrieve this little blaze on behalf of the grand royal family.”

A voice drifted from further down the street. “We’re not royal, dickhead!”

Skeppy didn’t break eye contact. “Close enough! Anyway, let’s go, Sappy!”

He let himself be dragged back to Phil’s house, Skeppy leaving him at the door before running off with a hasty excuse of Bad and his clinginess. George shot him a panicked look as he entered, sitting in the middle of what seemed to be a glaring match between Tommy and Dream.

“Uh, did you want me for a reason?” He turned to address Phil.

“I figured it would be nice for you three to relax for a while. There's something being set up for later, so you might as well wait here.” Phil balanced a couple trays on his arms. “Now, there’s tea and food, so help yourself, and if Tommy starts getting on your nerves there’s a spray bottle on top of the fireplace.”

“Fuck you, old man!” Tommy rocketed to his feet, moving towards the fire where Sapnap could spot the item in question. He didn’t get very far before Techno stuck a foot out, tripping the boy and sending him sprawling.

Feeling slightly overwhelmed, Sapnap drifted through the room and out the back door, pausing to take a breath. It was quiet out here, yelling blocked by thick walls, leaving only rustling wind and faint birdsong. Quiet humming met his ears and he glanced up.

“Hello!” Tubbo called softly. There were flowers in his hair, horns decorated in small blue and white blooms. Sapnap could spot bees circling around him. “You can join me if you want, but if not that’s fine.”

The blaze hybrid took a breath and settled down beside him. The air in the overworld still made his lungs ache at times, but he didn’t want to return to the Nether any time soon. Some day, but not yet.

“They can be pretty loud,” Tubbo murmured. “They’re nice though, if you get to know them.”

Sapnap glanced back at the house. “Yeah, they seem cool.”

“I’m glad you’re staying here,” Tubbo went on.

“Really? Why?”

The sheep hybrid tilted his head. “Hm, I’m not sure. I like you though, and if you hadn’t come I never would’ve met any nice humans, so that’s cool. Besides, with you here there’s someone else for my brothers to be complete dickheads around, which means less time annoying me.”

Sapnap snorted. “You just said they were nice.”

“You can be nice and a dickhead.”

“I don’t think you can.”

“Agree to disagree.”

* * *

“I still don’t know how you did this,” Sapnap whispered, leaning over Dream’s lap.

“A genius never reveals his secrets,” Fundy whispered back.

George tugged Sapnap away, pulling him back into his spot. They were sprawled on the grass, nearly the entire town scattered across the side of the hill watching a giant projection. Fundy had set it up, and Sapnap was in awe as he watched the images scroll by, something called “Treasure Planet” apparently. It didn’t make much sense to him, but it was very impressive. According to the others it was a story.

He glanced over to his left, where Phil’s family was positioned, sitting at the edge of the crowd. Techno was tapping his feet, hand slowly etching towards the sword on his hip. Sapnap saw him whisper something to Phil, who nodded, and the piglin walked quietly away. Tubbo was burrowed in a pile of blankets up to his ears, Tommy beside him on one side and Wilbur on the other, the three completely covered aside from their faces, which shined with the screen’s reflection. Phil was sitting beside, them, carefully running his hands through his wings, preening them as he watched.

A look to the right, past Dream’s awe-filled expression and Fundy’s smugness, showed Bad and Skeppy, curled into each other. Bad’s head was on Skeppy’s shoulder and a large blanket was wrapped around the two. A small tuft of fur revealed Ant, bundled up in Bad’s lap. Punz was sat a few paces away, leaning back on his elbows as he watched.

It was quiet, silence broken only by the sounds from the screen and the faint chirping of crickets somewhere far behind them. Sapnap felt warmth envelop him as George yawned, sliding down to rest against him, and Dream wrapped an arm around both of their shoulders.

This place was odd, a strange town filled with more creatures each more different than the last, but it was home, and that was something he couldn’t wait to get used to.

* * *

Out in the distance, an enderman watched the boy fall asleep, still barely more than a child in its eyes, and it couldn't help but smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Projecting onto Techno because I have ADHD and can’t sit through movies to save my life? Couldn’t be me
> 
> I’ve also just posted the first chapter of another story, a pirate AU about RedVelvet and Antfrost that’s basically just Red going on a bunch of ocean adventures with Skeppy and the Idots in pursuit of Ant, so if that’s your vibe then feel free to check it out!


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things change, but it's all for the better

It was warm here, the sun’s light flowing over the land with a golden brush. There was a haze in the air, blurring the sharp edges, shining faintly with gold. The village was more beautiful than ever nowadays. Small gardens filled the previously empty spaces between houses. Small wildflowers outside windows and lining paths, cut through by patches of herbs. At the outskirts of the village, a field of crops, a lot of space taken up by Techno’s potatoes but the rest filled with an endless expanse of wheat stalks. Banners of all kinds flown from balconies, Sapnap’s favourite being a striking rainbow flown proudly out the windows of Ant’s house, an oddly-shaped thing that was stacked like blocks, somehow staying upright and stable. Fundy’s home had expanded, with the help of a mysterious, creeper-masked stranger that stopped by to visit occasionally, so much of it automated that it made Sapnap’s head spin. Even the door was a wonder with a cavern of wiring and devices hidden beneath it. A surprisingly solid arena was built on the edge of the village, Skeppy and Bad having spent weeks working on it, hosting events whenever they could. Techno always participated, and won every time, but no one minded much. It was fun to play no matter who won.

Sapnap walked through the village, watching a flood of red and orange sweep across buildings, rooftops glowing in the light of the sunset. He glanced through the windows as he passed, curiosity blooming. Bad stood in his kitchen, proudly unveiling a dish, while Skeppy laughed, soundless through the glass but obvious and wonderful nonetheless. Fundy sat bent over his worktable, tinkering with something too small to see. Punz was slumped on a cough, smiling to himself as he fiddled with one of Fundy’s gifts to everyone, a small communication device. The sight made Sapnap’s pocket feel heavy. Ant’s house was dark, the cat hybrid having left to visit his boyfriend in another village far away. A tall house, almost resembling a temple, stood beside it, and Sapnap could spot colourful windows flickering with soft firelight. A tall figure was stretched over a couch, book in one hand and cup in the other, a crown set crookedly on their head.

( _“This feels like identity theft.” Techno fixed the newcomer with a stare, his own crown shining on his head._

_Eret chuckled. “I promise not to steal anyone’s identity while I’m here. I just need to rest, people have been after me for a while.”_

_“Why’re people hunting you?” Tommy circled around them, frowning. “You look like a normal dude.”_

_A hand slid up, pulling down their sunglasses, and empty, glowing eyes stared around at them. Tommy’s spines bristled and he jumped back behind Techno with a small hiss._

_“What kind of hybrid are you?” Sapnap blurted. He tried to take the question back, but Eret raised a hand._

_“It’s alright, I don’t mind you asking. I’m-”_

_“Eret!” Fundy pulled them towards him. “You didn’t tell me you got here already! Come on, we can do all this boring stuff later, let’s go back to my house!”_ )

Near the end of the road were two newer buildings, facing each other across the path, one covered in flowers of all sorts and the other smelling strongly of all kinds of baked goods. The bakery was a solid building, formed of brick and reinforced a dozen times over. Its front window held a display of treats that had been since packed away for the night. The flower shop was bursting with colour and life, hundreds of flowers that Sapnap had never even known existed, from all over the world. Every time you entered, you’d leave with a story of adventure and heroism, though with no way of knowing how much of it was true. Standing near the front window was a sheep hybrid, curly wool framing her face in a bright halo, watering the delicate plants. Her gaze drifted up and she made eye contact with the figure leaving the bakery, a warm grin crossing her face as she waved goodbye. The other waved back, still wiping her hands on the edge of her shirt and closing the bakery’s door behind her.

( _“We need a place to stay.” The hybrid stood in front of her friend, eyes narrowed with challenge. Her hand drifted to the sword on her belt. “I don’t care what you think about either of us, we’ll leave in the morning, just give us one night.”_

_Phil raised his hands, wings folded neatly behind him. “Of course, of course, it’s no worry. You can stay as long as you like. You’re both welcome here.”_

_“Both?” The second woman, still half-hidden by her companion’s silhouette, met Phil’s eyes. She elbowed her friend gently. “Puffy, I think it’s okay.”_

_The sheep hybrid, Puffy, reached out a hand, pushing the woman back behind her. “We don’t know that, Niki,” she hissed. “They could be planning something.”_

_“They’re probably not planning anything, we’ve been here for ages and they haven’t killed us yet,” Dream piped up. He waved a hand at himself and George. “Pure human here and we’ve always been fine. Unless they’re collecting us for something, then we’d be in trouble.” He paused, as if considering. “Hey, Phil, is it cannibalism if a hybrid eats a human?”_

_Niki tugged on Puffy’s sleeve again. “See? It seems okay!”_

_Puffy’s eyes were dark, shoulders still set firm. “Fine. We’ll stay one night. But if anything happens, I’m picking you up and running.”_

_“I don’t doubt it.” Niki stepped out and stuck out a hand to Phil. “Hello, it’s nice to meet you! My name is Niki, and this here is Puffy! You have a wonderful village!”_ )

Niki gave him a smile as they crossed paths, and Sapnap paused for a moment to watch her on her way home, humming a soft tune under her breath. He recognised it as something Wilbur had been playing outside the bakery earlier in the day. He’d lasted most of the morning, singing sweet songs and chatting with Niki during his breaks, until he was interrupted by a certain teenager stealing his guitar and running. With the memory warm in his mind, he kept walking, on towards the center of the village where a certain house stood.

The windows here were all lit up, some blindingly so, broken by the silhouettes of hanging disks. A tusked man stood before a dimmer window, leaning out over the edge and silently combing his fingers through his hair with closed eyes, undoing the braid. Quiet music flowed from one of the balconies, and a few steps to the side revealed a gray-skinned hybrid strumming a guitar. Wilbur waved and strummed the first few notes of Stal, one of Sapnap’s favourite songs. The peace was quickly broken by a yell and a curse, then the sound of something breaking. On the lowest floor, shadows surged across the room and the front door was flung open, three teenagers trying to run with Phil in hot pursuit. Tommy let out a whoop, tugging along his brothers, Tubbo cackling as the third glanced behind them, mismatched eyes wide.

( _“ **I think I found something,** ” Techno called. _

_Sapnap turned back to where the piglin stood, further up on the hill of soft red rock. He drew in a deep breath, savouring the comfort and, most importantly, lack of pain, that accompanied it. The Nether was a grand place, and he’d come to love the adventures he and the others took, his fellow Nether-borns regularly taking outings to explore._

**_“What is it?_ ** _” Bad began heading back towards them, Skeppy nearly hanging off his shoulders. “ **Is it something normal-person-interesting or Techno-interesting?** ”_

_“ **Ha ha** ,” he deadpanned. “ **Come see for yourself.** ”_

_Curiosity blooming, Sapnap scrambled up beside the man, watching Techno wave his sword in the direction of a small crack in the ground. Peering down, he nearly screamed when he met a pair of bright eyes. Small, grayed claws scratched at the rock’s edges._

_“ **What the-”** the blaze scrambled back. _

_“ **It’s a creature!** ” Bad dislodged Skeppy, ignoring the man’s complaints, and knelt down, hand outstretched. “ **It’s okay, little one, you can come out!”**_

_Techno pulled him away, forcing the man to stand to avoid falling over. “ **You idiot, what if it’s dangerous?** ”_

_“ **It’s not dangerous, it’s fine!** ”_

_“ **It’s not fine, that thing could’ve killed you!** ”_

_Bad rolled his eyes. “ **It was tiny, it couldn’t have done anything to me.** ”_

_“ **A lot of things are small, they’re still dangerous!** ” Techno gestured to the knife on his belt. “ **That knife is smaller than a sword but it could still kill someone!** ”_

_“ **Uh, guys?** ” Skeppy stood up, a multicoloured bundle curled in his arms. “ **I don’t think it’s dangerous.** ”_

_“ **Aww, look!** ” Bad reached out, scooping up the creature and tucking it under his chin. It blinked up at the rest of them. “ **It’s a child!** ”_

_Sapnap wasn’t sure what to think. It looked like a hybrid, though of what he had no idea. Its face was a patchwork of black and white, one eye shining red and the other green. Its hair was similarly split, half white and half black, just like the rest of it. Further down its arms, the patterns faded into a solid gray that covered its hands and forearms. The child was tiny, limbs a little too big for its body and clothes hardly more than singed rags._

_Techno huffed. “ **For all we know this is a trap.** ”_

_Bad flicked his tail at the piglin to shush him and faced the child. “ **Hello, little one! Do you have a home? Parents?** ”_

_It shook its head slowly. “ **N-no.** ”_

_“ **Aww, guys, we can’t leave it here, we should take it back with us,** ” Bad murmured. _

_Looking at the child’s lost expression, it was hard to refuse._

* * *

_“You’re holding a baby.” Phil blinked at them. “Why are you holding a baby?”_

_“Baby?” Tubbo stuck his head out the door, peering past the wall of feathers. “Oh, did Bad and Skeppy have a baby?” He retreated back behind Phil. “Hey, Tommy, I was right, Skeppy was pregnant!”_

_“We found him in the nether.” Bad held the child to his chest. “Poor kid doesn’t have a home.”_

_Something in Phil’s expression changed, and he ushered them into the house. Tommy looked up from the jukebox, still playing a soft melody, and upon seeing the worried expressions on the faces of their guests he quickly switched to a calmer disc. Bad settled beside Phil on one of the couches, hybrid child in his lap._

_“I can take him,” Phil said quietly, “but it’ll be hard to raise him with four sons already.”_

_Techno rolled his eyes. “Wilbur and I are adults, and Tubbo can take care of himself.”_

_“Oi, bitch, what about me?” Sharp claws tapped furiously on the furniture._

_“You’re a child and an idiot.”_

_“Fuck y-”_

_“Language!”_

_Phil chuckled. “I can’t exactly say no after that, can I?”_

_“Not really.” Bad brushed a hand across the child’s back. “ **Little one, you’re going to be staying here from now on, okay?** ”_

_He nodded faintly, and Sapnap let out a sigh. The kid would be safe here, he knew, raised in a community, the way he should be. And if the young child grew at a supernatural rate, if they had no idea how young or old he truly was, then so be it. He was a kid, no matter how odd, and deserved a good childhood._ )

Sapnap stepped out of the way as they went surging by, yelps and laughter echoing through the empty streets. Phil sent hushed apologies his way before flapping hard and taking off, the teenagers’ cheers quickly turning into screams. Laughing, Sapnap began the short walk to his own home, up the hill that, over the time he’d spent here, had begun to be covered in wildflowers, one side proudly presenting a number of beehives that sourced the village’s honey. The house itself was beautiful, delicate architecture covered in small lights, blooming with vines and small buds. A couple banners of their own danced outside windows, mostly symbols he didn’t know and couldn’t be bothered asking about. Their was one of his though, the flag of the Northern Nether Fortress, a bittersweet image that just felt right to have.

He was about to open the door when a faint sound met his ears, sending a chill of fear down his spine, though he couldn’t quite tell what it was. He backtracked further down the hill, the sound growing as he went, until a figure came crashing out of the trees. Their hair was spiked in all directions, full of leaves and twigs and what he distantly recognised as antlers, ruined clothes hanging limply on a too-thin frame. They nearly ran straight into Sapnap before noticing him, lurching back but slowing when their eyes fell on the golden marks that covered his skin.

Sapnap opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a crash as more people appeared, a flood of hunters that swarmed out of the shadows of the trees. Sapnap flinched at the sound and the stranger squeaked and scurried behind him, moving with a painful limp. The dark light of the sunset coated the hunters in a sheen of red that gleamed like blood.

Air rushed around them as Phil landed, wings spread wide, hiding them from the hunters’ view. “What’s going on here?”

Glancing around the winged man, Sapnap saw one of the hunters step forward, a white patch on his uniform’s chest. “Avian, we are here to retrieve an escaped prisoner. If you do not hand it over, we’ll take you as well.”

There was a loud, snorting laugh as Techno walked up behind them, swinging an axe in one hand. “Tough luck, buddy, no one’s going anywhere. Except you, of course.”

Sapnap jumped as a hand touched his arm, Dream tugging him further back with hushed whispers. The stranger shuffled away with them. Their grip on Sapnap was like a vice as he noticed more people from the village approaching.

Puffy and Niki stood side-by-side, tugging Tommy, Tubbo and Ranboo behind them, much to the former’s annoyance. The shine of Puffy’s precious netherite sword was nothing compared to the downright murderous gleam in her eyes, Niki’s form tight as a spring at her shoulder. Fundy and Ant were poised with gleaming claws beside Punz, whose lips were drawn back in a snarl, hands wrapped around an axe’s handle.

Bad put a hand on Phil’s shoulder, usually kind face split with protective anger. Faint purple particles danced around him, illuminating the face of a grinning Skeppy, sword in hand. Phil gave the two a sharp nod and turned his attention back to the hunters.

“I’d suggest you leave now,” he said, with an air of calm. “This is not a battle you will win.”

The hunters looked hesitant, gazes flicking between the crowd that now stood before them.

Wilbur’s sharp laughter filled the near-silence. “Come on, don’t be cowards about it! Fight us! I’m sure you can’t do any worse than the _last_ group to come here!”

Their leader blanched at that. He took in a shaky breath and stepped back, slowly sheathing his sword. With a wave of a hand, the rest of the hunters followed suit. Wordlessly, they turned and fled, back into the darkness they escaped from.

Tommy pouted. “Why’re you letting them escape? I would’ve kicked their arses!”

“You would’ve done no such thing.” Phil shot a concerned look at Sapnap, and the stranger who clung to him. “Are you two alright?”

Sapnap nodded, and after a moment of hesitation, so did the other. Their chest heaved, and when he looked closely the blaze could see scarred marks covering their antlers, just as scars criss-crossed their skin.

There were loud footsteps nearby, and a new voice, still broken by yawns. “Hey guys, what’s going o-”

A soft whine escaped the stranger, their head whipping up to stare at George, whose eyes stretched wide.

“…Callahan?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this has been awesome, thank you all for tagging along! :D


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